Reality Shift - Destruction
by Atomspliter
Summary: Realities are in danger, and only one group can put an end to it. But even they alone are not strong enough to end the conflict. What will become of all Realities, and what will come of all the Shifters? This story is a new one for me, and I own nothing except characters I make up. This story is planned to cross as many timelines as possible.
1. Unidentified

Reality Shifters are beings of incredible power. However, that power hinges on Realities themselves. In order for them to be able to keep the Realities safe, they must learn how to protect themselves.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

There is one location throughout the entirety of between realities that holds the secrets of Reality Shifters. And within its hold, there are few who can know of the current crisis. "Sir! We just got reports of Reality 22986056 vanishing!"

"Another one?" Asked the Commander. He went by no other name, having lost it to time.

"Yes sir, the wave is speeding up! At this rate, we have weeks at best!"

"What is going on?" Wondered the Commander. "Syark, look in all databases to figure out what is going on!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Syark, a Shifter from Reality 10, began typing on his keyboard, pulling up everything he could think of to figure out what was going on. When he found something, it didn't look good. "Sir, I found something."

"What is it?"

"Well, it's good news and bad news."

"Let's get the bad news over with."

"This is identical to the event that happened when the First Shifter came about." The Commander gasped.

"But, how? That evil was sealed away in the Negative Reality! Not even Reality Shifters can escape there!"

"I'm not sure sir, but there is good news."

"What is it?"

"There's a way to stop it."

"How!" Demanded the Commander.

"It's an ancient text, but I think the computer can decipher it. Hold on." Syark's hands flew over the keys, translating the document. "I got it." He gave it a brief overview. "It says here that the wave will not stop until it devours Reality One, and the first Shifter stopped it with others. The wave is weak against specific Realities."

"Which ones?"

"That's just it, sir. We don't know. The only word the computer could decrypt was 'Bakugan'. The rest are still translating."

"Bakugan?" Asked the Commander. "Preposterous! The Bakugan Reality was destroyed long ago from within!"

"Actually, it wasn't." Said Claip. He had just walked in.

"How so?" Asked the Commander.

"You see, there was A Bakugan Reality that was destroyed, but it was not the original. The original timeline is still there, although it is changed."

"Changed how?"

"For one thing, there have been Shifters reported there. And each one bears a different attribute."

"Shifters?" Bellowed the Commander. "Why have we never heard of them before?"

"Because, sir, they were ingrained in the reality by the Timeline Bakugan."

"Bull. Chronogian faded years ago. There is no way that they were ingrained by him."

"On the contrary, they were not ingrained by Chronogian, but by his successor."

"And who the heck was his successor?"

"Haos Leonidas, partner of Atom."

"Leonidas?"

"Yes sir, Leonidas. And there's more to it as well. Leonidas was created when Atom entered the reality."

"Unbelievable! We have Realities being consumed by darkness and now we have uncatalogued Shifters? This is ridiculous!"

"But there's even more than that, I'm afraid." Said Claip.

"Well spit it out already!"

"Atom has an Alpha Gene."

"What!" Yelled the Commander.

* * *

Atom sat down at his desk, intent of finishing the last chapter of his story. "It's too bad everybody who reads this will only think of it as a Fanfiction, but I guess small sacrifices must be made." He began to type out what had happened in the final battle with Mechtavius Destroyer and the Bakugan in general. His mom called him.

"I need you to take out the trash!"

"Coming!" Atom got back up. "Man, I wish my shifting days weren't over. They were fun. But I guess everything has to come to an end eventually." He thought back to the Bakugan Reality. "Still, it's an open wound when I think about Leonidas. I hope he's doing okay in the Bakugan Reality."

* * *

A Shifter transported just outside of the Bakugan Reality, and Leonidas took notice. "Who are you?"

"I am a negative Shifter, born of darkness. And you, Doomic Dragon, are coming with me!"

"Negative Shifter? The only Shifters I've ever heard of were Atom and his friends."

"Oh, but you're so very, very wrong. Negative Shifters are Shifters, just far more powerful!" The strange person rushed at Leonidas and placed his palm on him. Leonidas roared in pain. Then, the Negative Shifter backed away, with a black cloud in his hand. "Thank you for the means of which I need to destroy you!" The cloud collapsed in on itself, and became a Bakugan. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand!" Before Leonidas rose another. A Dark version of himself.

"You think all it takes to defeat me is that?"

"You'd be surprised." Said the Shifter. "Very much surprised." The Dark Leonidas attacked.

* * *

"Sir, we're detecting an anomaly near the Bakugan Reality!" Said someone.

"Pin its location and get me details!"

"Yes sir!" The techs began to triangulate where the anomaly was and get a visual. "We got something, putting it on screen now!" On screen it showed the Negative Shifter copying Leonidas and creating another one.

"Mother of! Get me Claip!"

"Sir yes sir!" Said a guard. He ran off.

"I can only hope that we can get there in time."

* * *

Atom was just throwing the garbage bag into the trash can when he got a major headache. He gripped his head. "What's going on? Why am I getting a headache now of all times?" Within his mind, he was able to see just outside of the Bakugan Reality. "What the? Why can I see the Bakugan Reality? I thought my gene was damaged!" Then he saw Leonidas. "And there's Leonidas!" Then he noticed the other one. "What the? I thought Leonidas was the only one of his species! How did this happen?"

"Atom." Said a voice.

"Huh? Who said that?"

"Atom." Said the same voice, more insistently.

"Show yourself!"

"Atom, it is time once again."

"Time again for what?"

"Your partner is in danger, and you're the only one who can keep him safe."

"But how? My gene is damaged, I can't travel through the Realities anymore!"

"Your gene is not damaged. It is merely weakened. You are more unique than you know. Now, you need to save Leonidas before It happens."

"What's It?" Asked Atom. The voice was silent. He looked back to the vision, hoping against all hope to be able to figure out what to do.

* * *

Leonidas was hit and sent backwards. "Stand down Leonidas, even you cannot resist the power of the Destruction!"

"The Destruction?" Asked Leonidas. "What are you talking about?"

"The Destruction is the wave of energy that is decimating all Realities in its way! Nothing can stop it, and it won't stop until it consumes Reality One!"

"Reality One? But that's where Atom is! I cannot let that happen!"

"Oh, but you're already too late." Said the Shifter. Leonidas turned around to see a large, purple mass approaching.

"Wh-what is that?"

"That is your Doom! Concede now, or prepare to feel the wrath of all you have slain!"

"This thing is massive. How do I combat it?" Wondered Leonidas. "No, I can't think that way. I am the Timeline Bakugan, and I will defend this Reality with my life!" Leonidas flew towards the mass.

"You fool! Nothing can withstand the Destruction! Nothing!"

"We'll see about that!" Said Leonidas. His eyes began to glow, then his body followed suit.

* * *

Atom's Attributic wheel began to glow. "Atom."

"Huh?"

"Atom, please, I need your help!"

"Leo! What can I do?"

"I need you to return!"

"Return? But, my gene is" then he remembered what the voice had said. "But I've lost the ability to shift. How am I supposed to get there?"

"I am calling to you, you just need to do what another has done before." A black gate opened up and it had many different colored lines in it.

"I'm coming partner!" Atom jumped into the gate and it closed just as the garage door opened.

"Are you finished taking out the garbage yet?" Asked Atom's mom. She looked around the garage. "Huh, I wonder where he got to."

* * *

"This is my chance, I will not fail!" Said Atom as he rushed towards the Bakugan Reality. "I just hope Leonidas can hold out for a little longer."

* * *

Leonidas was being chased by his dark version. "Leave me alone!" The dark version just hissed.

"This is too funny." Said the Shifter. "Leonidas being beaten by himself. It's such a pity."

* * *

"Sir, we've detected another anomaly near the first one!"

"On screen, now!" On screen, it showed another Shifter coming onto the scene. "No way. I thought he was unshiftable!"

"It appears he has regained a small part of his power." Said Claip.

"Claip, thanks for coming. Have you figured anything else out?"

"Yes Commander, I have. It seems that the wave is targeting the Bakugan Reality."

"What?"

"Yes, and it is already starting. Take a look." The Commander looked on screen to see a purple mass approaching the Reality.

"How could we have missed that?" He asked weakly.

"Sir, it just appeared out of nowhere! I don't understand it, but it seems that this energy is targeting specific Realities!" The second anomaly vanished.

"Where did the anomaly go?"

"Sir, it just vanished. I don't know what happened to it!"

* * *

Atom looked around. "It sure has been a while since I've been here. But now is not the time for remembering the old days. I need to help Leo!" Atom began to move in the direction he thought Leonidas was. "Leo! I'm coming!"

* * *

"Zoom in on the location of the second anomaly!"

"Yes sir." The screen zoomed in on the location, and the Commander noticed something.

"Move in on the gamma octant." The screen zoomed in on Atom's location. "It's Atom!"

"But I thought you said he was unshiftable." Said a guard.

"Never mind that! We need to help him." Said Claip. "If I'm right, he may be the only one who can save the Bakugan Reality!"

* * *

"Atom, over here!" Yelled Leonidas.

"I'm coming!"

"You think one Shifter will be enough to stop me?" Asked the Negative Shifter. "Especially when I have the advantage?"

"You will not succeed!" Bellowed Leonidas.

"On the contrary, I will."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Yelled Atom. He came to a stop in front of Leonidas. "This Reality is not for you to invade! I will protect those within with my life!"

"Then prepare to die." Said the Negative Shifter.

* * *

"This mass, it's unnatural." Thought the Commander. "There must be something we can do." Then he remembered something. "Claip, how are the Omega Genes going?"

"They're nearly done. We got a few perfected."

"Send one to Atom, right away!"

"Sir, we've never tried to inject a Realital Gene into somebody who already has one! We don't know what could happen!"

"Well I'm not one to sit around and do nothing while a Reality is threatened. Especially one that might be important to stopping this. Launch the gene!"

"It shall be done." Claip ran off to the engineers.

"Hang in there, you'll have more power soon." Thought the Commander.

* * *

"Time for me to stop you!" Shouted Atom. "Ability Activate!"

"Nope! Ability Activate! Negative Burst!" Atom's card stopped glowing.

"Why?"

"Because I can. Go Dark Leonidas!" The dark copy charged forward and bashed Leonidas. He nearly fell into the purple mass that was drawing ever closer to the Reality.

"Ok man, we're cut short on time here!" Said Atom. "We need more of us!" A beam of light came from somewhere. "What the?" Atom was hit by it, and it went into him. "That was new." Then, his attribute wheel began to glow.

"What's happening?" Asked the Negative Shifter.

"I wish I knew!" Said Atom. The glow became brighter, and enveloped Atom. Then the glow concentrated on his other hand, where it made a triangle. Atom looked at it. "That's new."

"It won't be enough to save you!" Said the Negative Shifter. "Go!" The Dark Leonidas charged as Atom got a vision. It showed him other brawlers using the same triangle he had on his hand, and how it could be used. He smiled.

"I think it will. Ready Leonidas?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Atom held up his hands.

"Time for me to unleash my new power! Energy Twist! Light!" Leonidas began to glow white, and it only became brighter.

"What's happening?" Asked the Negative Shifter. Leonidas continued to glow, then it stopped abruptly. Where he was before was something different.

"I can feel the power of positive energy!" Said Leonidas, now evolved again.

"I think we can agree to that!" Said Atom. "What do you think this new evolution is called?"

"I'm not sure, but let's make the most of it!"

"Agreed! Ability Activate! Haos Light!" Leonidas brought his hands together and shot a beam from them. It struck the Dark Leonidas and defeated it.

"Impossible!" Said the Negative Shifter. "That's entirely impossible! Nobody has ever beaten a dark clone before!"

"First time for everything!" Said Atom. He turned to the mass. "I think it's time we took care of that!"

"I couldn't agree more!" Said Leonidas. Atom climbed onto Leonidas's head and the duo took off. They approached the mass quickly.

"Ability Activate!" Said Atom. "Negative's Blight!" Leonidas shot three beams, one from his horn and one from each hand. The three beams combined into one and created a blinding light. Atom had to shield his eyes.

* * *

Dan looked up. "Man, I wish I could know what was going on these days. First the new Bakugan, and now this." Up above, there was a light brighter than the Sun. Dan had to look away. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it has to do with Atom and the others. But, just to make sure, I better call Marucho."

* * *

The mass was slowly abating, retreating. "Keep it up Leo!" Shouted Atom.

"I'm trying, but this is taxing!"

"Nothing can defeat the Destruction!" Said the Negative Shifter.

"I thought you would've known." Said Atom. "If you ever tell a Shifter the odds, they will always beat them! Ability Activate! Primal Force!" Leonidas's power skyrocketed, and he redoubled his efforts into defeating the mass. The light became brighter, and began to break through the mass. The Negative Shifter was affected as well.

"No! I must resist, I must not be taken by the light!" Leonidas's beam broke through the mass and it dissipated. The light burned away the darkness tainting the Shifter. Only then did the light die down. Atom looked back to where the mass was only to see nothing.

"I never knew we were so powerful!" Said Atom.

"Neither did I." Agreed Leonidas. He glowed again and returned to his previous form. He looked over himself. "I guess that form is temporary."

"I guess so." Said Atom. He turned to the other Shifter. "We should probably help him."

"I hate that idea, but we probably should."

* * *

The Commander was able to hear cheering from all across the Infinity Matrix. Claip walked up. "Good choice in sending the Gene, commander. It seems to have done the job."

"Yes, it has, but I worry about its stability. They have been known to disintegrate."

"I wouldn't worry. We can only detect one gene in Atom's body, and it's neither an Alpha nor an Omega."

"So you mean to tell me that they"

"Yes Commander, the two genes fused together to create one far more powerful."

"Let's hope that it's enough for the coming storm, otherwise we may be doomed."

* * *

Leonidas floated over to the other Shifter and Atom jumped off of him to grab the Shifter. "We need to get him inside a Reality, otherwise he may be lost."

"Well, we have one right here." Said Leonidas.

"It'll be nice to return, even if it's only for a day."

"Then let's be on our way."

* * *

"Hey Marucho, can I talk to you?" Asked Dan.

"Sure Dan, just give me a minute." Marucho grabbed a few more papers and got up.

"You know, you really should get somebody to help you. Even you can't do everything about the stadium." Said Dan.

"Yeah, I know. But I also know that the Shifters were the only ones capable of working with me on them. And we both know where they've gone." A bright light appeared next to them, and Atom came out of it. "Well that just flew out the window."

"Hey guys." Said Atom. "Miss me?"

"Only as much as you missed us." Said Dan. "What brings you back?"

"This guy." Said Atom, mentioning the person on his back.

"Who's he?" Asked Marucho.

"I don't know yet, but he was a Negative Shifter."

"What's a Negative Shifter?" Asked Dan.

"That's something we're trying to figure out." Said Leonidas.

"Well, whatever he is, we aren't getting anything out of him right now." Said Marucho.

"But there was more." Said Atom. "He kept going on about something called the Destruction."

"The Destruction?" Asked Dan.

"It may have been related to the strange mass that was coming to this Reality." Said Atom. "From the looks of it, it wasn't friendly."

"Something strange is going on here." Said Dan. "But we can't do anything to help you."

"I know."

* * *

"Sir, Atom has entered the Reality."

"Is that so? Who is he communicating with?"

"It seems to be one Dan Kuso and one Chōji Marukura."

"Well color me impressed. I'm surprised he even knows about them."

"You should probably read his profile, sir." Said Claip. "He's very impressive."

"Well I could care less about that, I want to know what they're talking about. Plant a bug."

"Yes sir." One of the techs launched a bug to transmit what they were talking about.

"I don't know yet, but he was a Negative Shifter."

"What's a Negative Shifter?"

"That's something we're trying to figure out."

"Well, whatever he is, we aren't getting anything out of him right now."

"But there was more. He kept going on about something called the Destruction."

"The Destruction?"

"It may have been related to the strange mass that was coming to this Reality. From the looks of it, it wasn't friendly."

"Something strange is going on here. But we can't do anything to help you."

"I know."

"So, they want to help?" Asked Claip.

"Perhaps we should give them the means to help. Launch some genes, Claip. But make sure they're regular ones. I don't want anymore Omegas running around than needed."

"On it sir."

* * *

"Well, even if we can't help you, we know something we can do!" Said Marucho.

"And that is?" Asked Atom.

"Well, lately I've been trying to develop technology that will allow us to take a look outside of our Reality. It's still under development, but maybe it can work."

"Perhaps." Said Leonidas. "But without having seen the place outside of your Reality, how can you know if you're looking at the right thing?" Just then, Slight and Pyreon floated in.

"Hey, you called for us Marucho?" Asked Pyreon.

"Wait a minute, is that Atom?" Asked Slight.

"In person." Said Atom. "It's good to see you two."

"Same here, old friend!" Said Pyreon. "Same here!" The other Shifter began to move.

"Where am I?"

"Relax." Said Atom. "You're among friends."

"Friends? But, I tried to bring the Destruction upon you! How could you call me a friend?"

"Well, how about you answer a few questions." Said Dan. "Could you do that?"

"I don't feel like I should, but I know that I have to. I will answer to the best of my ability."

"Okay, first question." Said Atom. "What is the Destruction?"

"The Destruction is a being that plans to destroy all Realities. Before you ask, I don't know who it is or what it is, I just know its intent."

"Okay." Said Dan. "What is a Negative Shifter?"

"A Negative Shifter is the same as a regular Shifter, just created out of Darkness instead of Light."

"Okay, one more question." Said Marucho. "Who are you?"

"My name was never given to me, I was only called upon by the Destruction when I got a message from him."

"Final question." Said Atom. "Do you want a name?"

"Why, do I need one?"

"It's kind of annoying to be constantly referring to you as the other Shifter or a negative Shifter."

"Okay then. What would you suggest?"

"I'm not sure." Said Marucho.

"How about Clate?" Asked Dan.

"Clate?" Asked the other Shifter.

"Yeah!" Said Dan. "I think it fits."

"Okay, it's better than nothing." Said Clate. "So, how long have you three been Shifters?"

"What do you mean you three?" Asked Marucho.

"I'm the only Shifter here besides you." Said Atom.

"Really? But why would a Shifter associate himself with nonshifters? It doesn't make sense!"

"Because they are my friends, and I could care less if they are Shifters or not. We've fought through thick and thin together and we would never be held back by something as simple as a Realital Gene." Leonidas's eyes glowed.

"I sense something coming!" Suddenly, two beams of light came into the room. One hit Dan while the other hit Marucho. They both fell backwards from the impact.

"Dan! Marucho!" Said Atom. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Said Marucho as he got up.

"What was that?" Asked Dan.

"I don't know, but the same thing happened to me just before I came into the Reality." Said Atom. "That's when I got this ability." He held up his hand with the triangle on it.

"But didn't your Form Change ability come from your Realital Gene?" Asked Dan.

"It did. But I'm not sure what caused this one to happen. I just got hit by a beam of light and it appeared." Nobody noticed Dan and Marucho's hands glowing a little as they each got an Attribute Wheel.

"Well, whatever happened it didn't seem to harm us." Said Marucho. He helped Dan up and Clate noticed something on his hand.

"Hey, what's that?" He asked as he pointed to Marucho's hand.

"What do you mean?" Asked Marucho. After he got Dan up he looked at his hand. "What!?"

"What's wrong Marucho?" Asked Dan. Then he looked at his own hand. "Whoa!"

"What's going on here?" Asked Atom. Marucho and Dan both turned to him.

"I'm not sure of the cause, but I think each of us just got a Realital Gene!" Said Marucho.

"What?" Asked Atom. Marucho and Dan showed their hands to Atom. "What the!"

"I don't get it either, but something has changed." Said Dan. His phone rang. Dan grabbed it, and saw something peculiar. "It's Shun!"

"But he never calls." Said Marucho.

"Well, answer it." Said Atom. Dan did so, then put it on speaker.

"Guys, something strange just happened!" Said Shun. "A beam of light came at me and now I have"

"An attribute wheel on your hand?" Asked Marucho.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"The same thing happened to us!" Said Dan.

"You guys too? This is going to be interesting."

"I don't know what's going on here, but I don't like it." Said Leonidas.

"I know." Said Atom. "There was no reason for any of you to suddenly get a Realital Gene, much less have one before. However, something or someone decided to make it happen."

"Do you think it was Chronogian?" Asked Pyreon.

"Even as part of the timeline, he is quite powerful." Agreed Slight.

"No." Said Leonidas. "Even Timeline Bakugan cannot bestow Realital Genes."

"Could it be the Infinity Matrix?" Wondered Atom out loud.

"What's the Infinity Matrix?" Asked Clate.

"That's something I wish I knew." Said Atom. Marucho's phone went off. He answered it quickly.

"What the heck is going on?!" Yelled Runo.

"Runo, calm down!" Said Dan.

"I will not calm down!"

"Well, could you at least talk quieter so I can put you on speaker?" Asked Marucho.

"Fine." Marucho put her on speaker. "You guys are not going to believe what happened!"

"Beam of light and now an Attribute wheel?" Asked Atom.

"How did you know?" She was quiet for a moment. "And when did you come back?"

"Same thing happened to us and Shun." Said Dan.

"If it happened to the four of us, do you think it could've happened to" started Runo before Marucho's computer went off. He walked over to it and accepted the video call.

"Guys, you're not going to believe this, but look!" Said Julie. She held her hand up to the webcam.

"We can believe it, Julie." Said Dan as he walked in front of the screen. "It happened to us too."

"We need to slow down and think about this rationally!" Said Marucho. We don't even know how this happened or why!"

"I think I know." Said Clate. Everybody looked at him who could. "It has to do with the Destruction. From what I remember, it was a force capable of destroying anything in its path. However, it had one major problem. There are several Realities it cannot destroy without destroying others, and even then they are hard to destroy. My memory is still fuzzy, but I think this Reality was one of those."

"So, what you're saying is that we might've been given Realital Genes to try and protect this Reality?" Asked Marucho.

"This is going to be the best thing since we stopped Mechtavius Destroyer!" Said Dan.

"Dan, why do you have to talk like that?" Asked Runo. Then, the room we were in began to glow.

"What's happening?" Asked Julie as her room began to glow too.

"I don't know, but I'm guessing where you guys are is glowing too!" Said Shun.

"Same here!" Said Runo.

"This is insanity!" Yelled Atom. Then, all of them transported from their locations leaving empty rooms, excluding the Bakugan. All of them found themselves outside of the Reality.

"Whoa!" Said Dan as he looked around. "So this is what you guys see when you leave a Reality."

"It's intimidating at first, but it looks good!" Said Julie.

"I never thought it would look like this!" Said Marucho.

"But what are we doing out here?" Asked Alice. We all turned to her.

"You too?" Asked Runo.

"If you mean I'm suddenly out here with you guys, then yes. Anybody have any ideas what's happening?"

"The only thing I know is that this isn't normal." Said Shun.

"This is utter insanity!" Said Atom. "What the heck is going on?!" Then he calmed down. "Okay, I need to think more rationally about this." He looked at the Brawlers. "Guess I should give you guys a quick heads up on being a Shifter."

"That would be appreciated!" Said Runo.

"For one thing, Shifters are anomalies in timelines. They usually don't stay long in any timeline, no more than a day or two. However, I guess that's not to be the case this time."

"How would you know if it's to be the case or not?" Asked Shun.

"Considering the strange way you guys all got out here, anything's valid." Said Atom.

"Anything else we should know?" Asked Julie.

"I just need to warn you not to travel too far." Said Atom. "If you venture out too far, you may be locked from your home."

"You mean like when you couldn't return to Reality One?" Asked Marucho.

"Precisely. However, I don't know if that is the case with you guys. It may be different, but I'm not sure. So please, be careful."

"What about Drago and the others?" Asked Dan.

"I think I might be able to help with that." Said Leonidas, in Bakugan form. He began to glow and energy came out of him. Eleven beams went into the Reality.

* * *

"I can't believe they just left us like that!" Said Pyreon. "I mean, come on!"

"I know what you mean." Said Drago. "But I don't really think they had a choice."

"Well whatever happened, I'm worried!" Said Preyas. "Marucho's never been so far away before!"

"We all are." Said Slight. "But it doesn't change anything." Then, the beams of light hit them.

"Again with the lights!" Complained Drago. The four of them began glowing, and transported out of the area.

* * *

"Three, two, one." Said Leonidas. More lights appeared out of the Timeline, and took the form of Bakugan.

"Drago!" Said Dan.

"Dan! Where are we?"

"We're between Realities pal."

"So, you guys are Shifters now?" Asked Tigrerra.

"It seems so Tig." Said Runo.

"So, how did we get out here?" Asked Hydranoid.

"That would be because of me." Said Leonidas. "I gave all of you the ability to exist outside of the Timeline so that you could all be with your partners."

"But what about us?" Asked Pyreon.

"Yeah, our partners are who knows where!" Agreed Slight.

"Even if you gave us the ability to exist out here, we're useless without our partners." Said Vladitor.

"Calm down!" Said Atom. "Keep in mind that me and my friends are from Reality One. Assuming I was the only one summoned by Leo, they should all be back home! And until we find them, I'll be a partner to all of you." He looked at a Bakugan next to the others, one he had never seen before. "Wait a minute, I don't remember you."

"Who? Me?" Asked the Subterra Bakugan. "Well, uh. I kinda just appeared here. I don't know what happened."

"Just appeared?" Asked Leo. He thought back to what he did. "Whoops. I guess I added a little too much power into giving you all the ability to exist out here."

"But who are you?" Asked Atom.

"I don't really know. I don't know my name."

"Don't know your name?" Asked Dan.

"Hold on a second." Said Atom. He looked from Clate to the Bakugan, then back to Clate. "Seems that we've hit a lucky break."

"How so?" Asked Marucho.

"I think I just found the Subterra Brawler for my team."

* * *

"Sir, the Genes have been imprinted onto the original six." Said a Tech.

"Good. If we're lucky we won't need any more from the Reality. But I doubt we'll get lucky."

"Sir, the computer has translated another of the Timelines!" Said one of the techs.

"What does it say?"

"It's a riddle and the computer can't crack it."

"Put it on screen!" The tech did so. "The power of this Reality is a Virus to the Destruction, of which whose Data is corrupted. It takes a Vaccine to administer the cure."

"That's a heck of a riddle." Said Syark.

"Any ideas Commander?" Asked Claip.

"I don't know, but the words that are capitalized make me think." A small alarm went off. "What now?" The screen turned to the Bakugan coming out of the Reality.

"Looks like Leonidas has given them the ability to exist outside." Said Claip.

"Sir, we just analyzed their DNA." Said a tech. "One of them doesn't match any known patterns."

"Wait, what?" Asked the Commander. "But I thought we had every species cataloged!"

"It seems that we have a new one." Said Claip.

* * *

"I don't know about you guys, but I don't think I want to be a Reality Shifter." Said Alice.

"I'm with you." Said Runo. "Seems too chaotic out there."

"Well, like it or not, you are all Shifters now." Said Atom.

"But why were we made Shifters?" Asked Marucho. "From what I've seen, you guys were all that was ever needed."

"Apparently, something or someone decided that we weren't enough." Said Atom.

* * *

"So, the first wave was defeated." Thought a being. "I guess we'll have to move onto the next phase for now." The being cackled. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised." He looked through a strange plane. "After all, this one is capable of many things. Perhaps it will be possible to turn him." The image on the plane showed Atom. "If I could turn him, my plans will be accelerated tenfold! Then nothing will be able to get in my way again!" The being cackled again as it turned towards its next target.

* * *

 _Sure, Atom may have been the first to be called upon for saving Realities, but when the one I found for myself is put under the same threat, I can't just stand by and let it be destroyed! Looks like I'm going to have to merge with my partner for this one. If only there was a better way to combat this thing more effectively. Wait a minute, what's with that light? And what is this new power? I thought I knew everything I needed to know with this Reality! I guess I'll have to figure this one out, just like I did with Form Change. If only I had my friends to help me, their imagination would be useful here. I guess just being a Shifter will be enough._


	2. Combined Force

With every good turn, there is a bad one. Reality Shifters know this and are capable of reducing its effect. However, when it is created by the Shifters themselves, it's not as easy to stop it. Sometimes it takes friends and allies to bring it back around.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

"Regardless, we need to figure out what to do from here." Said Atom. "With all of you being Shifters, you will need to learn your new powers."

"What new powers?" Asked Runo.

"Specifically, Form Change." Said Atom.

"Form Change?" Asked Marucho. "But if we have that ability, wouldn't our Bakugan be able to do it?"

"I'm not sure." Said Atom. "But I think it might be possible. There are a few ways to know."

"Well spill it!" Said Julie. "I want to know if we can do it!"

"Okay then. Everybody, focus on an attribute." Everybody did. Dan's attribute wheel had the Haos symbol glowing while Marucho's had Ventus. Runo's was glowing Subterra as Alice's glowed Pyrus. Shun decided to go for Darkus while Julie went for Aquos. They each looked at their hands.

"So, when we focus on an attribute to change to, the corresponding one glows?" Asked Marucho.

"Yes." Said Atom. "Now, focus on how you think the attribute works in battle. For example, Pyrus focuses on the heat of battle and the power of fire." They each began to try and figure out how the other attributes worked.

"This is difficult." Said Dan. "No wonder you used this ability sparingly."

"It's not that bad, Dan." Said Runo. "You've faced far worse in the past."

"She's right you know." Said Marucho.

"Yeah, I guess." The three resumed what they were doing. When Atom felt like they had an idea, he decided to let them know the rest.

"Now, the final step is to call out Form Change, then the attribute you are going for." Atom looked at Dan. "Now, because this is difficult, I'm going to see if we can bring Dan's ego down a little. You're up first."

"Really?" Asked Dan. "You still think my ego's big?"

"Who doesn't?" Bantered Shun.

"Fine." Said Dan. "Form Change! Haos!" The glow arched from his hand all over his body and changed his clothing to be more attuned to a Haos brawler's. It was still the same, but slightly different. Then, just as we all thought it wouldn't work, Drago began glowing. When he came out of the glow, he appeared to be Haos. "Yes! It worked!" Drago looked over himself.

"Well, this is different." He said.

"Okay, so Dan and Drago are capable." Said Atom. He looked over the others. "So, who's going next?"

"I'll give it a try." Said Shun. "Form Change! Darkus!" Shun glowed and his clothing turned to a darker shade, but nothing happened with Skyress. "Looks like we're out."

"It appears so." Agreed Skyress.

"Don't worry, I knew this was a possibility." Said Atom.

"Me next, me next!" Said Julie.

"Go for"

"Form Change!" Yelled Julie. "Aquos!" Gorem glowed immediately as did Julie, then they changed to Aquos. "Yes yes yes!"

"Ok, calm down a little." Said Atom. "No need to get so excited!" Julie took a deep breath.

"Yeah, you're right. I guess I should calm down a little." Atom looked at Runo, Alice and Marucho.

"So?" The three looked at each other.

"I'll go." Said Runo. "Form Change! Subterra!" Both she and Tigrerra glowed, but only Tigrerra changed. Runo's clothing stayed the same. "Hey, what gives?"

"Perhaps your clothing wouldn't have changed even if you weren't Haos?" Suggested Shun.

"I guess that could be true." Said Atom. "Regardless, that leaves two."

"I guess I'll go." Said Marucho. "If it didn't work for Shun, it probably won't work for me."

"Who not?" Asked Dan.

"Think about it. So far, everybody who has been able to do it has had one partner." Said Marucho. "Both me and Shun kept changing partners to keep up with you, Dan."

"That is true." Said Shun. "We never formed a strong enough bond with our Bakugan to do this."

"Then I'll go." Said Alice. They all looked at her. "What?"

"You're usually not the one to step up." Said Dan.

"Well, if I have no choice in the matter, then I should at least try." Replied Alice.

"Go for it." Said Atom. "The worst that could happen is that it doesn't work."

"This ought to be interesting." Said Hydranoid. Alice took a deep breath.

"Form Change! Pyrus!" Energy flowed over her and Hydranoid, and they changed to Pyrus. "It worked!"

"Not surprising." Said Hydranoid. Atom looked at Marucho.

"Time to put your theory to the test."

"Okay." Said Marucho. "Form Change! Ventus!" Marucho changed, and it looked like Preyas was trying to, but it didn't work. Preyas remained Aquos. "I was really hoping I was wrong."

"Relax." Said Dan. "I bet Atom has an idea for that!"

"Indeed I do." Said Atom. "When me and the others got our ability to do Form Change, we had a Bakugan basically custom made for us. So, what I'm thinking is that if you two go back into the Reality, a custom Bakugan will generate."

"Are you sure?" Asked Marucho.

"It could work." Said Shun. "But what if it doesn't?"

"If it doesn't, then we forget it for now." Said Atom. "But, we'll never know unless we try!"

"Let's go for it!" Said Dan. Then he glowed and returned to normal. Drago did the same. "I guess it ran out."

"That means the others will be returning to normal soon." Said Drago.

"It was interesting, even for a short time." Said Runo.

* * *

Blips of energy popped up on the screen. "Commander, it seems that we have some massive energy readings!"

"I guess we should've figured this would happen." Said Claip.

"How so?" Asked The Commander.

"The Shifters that are part of that Reality had an ability from their genes. It makes sense Atom they would teach the brawlers how to utilize it."

"I guess it does make sense." Said the Commander. "But I wonder why there's only four." An alarm went off.

"Sir, we got another reading on the wave!"

"On screen, now!" The screen pulled up and showed another timeline. An image of a D-Power flashed in the corner. "Digimon Tamers? Why on earth would it target" he thought back to the riddle. "The power of this Reality is a Virus to the Destruction, of which whose Data is corrupted. It takes a Vaccine to administer the cure." Those words played in his head. "Virus, Data, Vaccine, it all makes sense now."

"What does?" Asked Claip. The Commander turned to him.

"Remember the riddle Syark couldn't crack?"

"Of course. I also remember you mentioning the capitalized words."

"Well, what does a Digimon Reality have?"

"It has humans, digivices, and Digimon of Virus, Data and Vaccine types." Then Claip realized what he just said. "Oh. I see now."

"Yes, the next Reality that needs defending is Digimon."

* * *

Azion sat down to watch some TV, specifically Digimon. "Man, I really need to get the next chapter done so I can post it, but I just feel so lazy right now." He turned on his favorite channel and kicked back. "I remember when I was able to Shift to the Reality. That was fun. It's too bad my gene got damaged. Oh well, at least I can have the memories." The show started, then got interrupted.

"Good morning." Said the news anchor. "We've got some very worrying news to share with you all." The scene changed to show a park, or at least where a park was. "At about 5 AM this morning, this park was an average park. But at 5:10, it was suddenly destroyed. No other damage was done, but we don't know what happened."

"Huh, that's strange." Said Azion as he looked at the red bulges. "That's almost like the D-Reaper when it was attacking the real world. But that's just silly. There are no Digimon in our Reality, so why would there be a D-Reaper?" He sighed. "I need to forget the fact that I'm back in my home." The news continued on.

"In other news, a kid went missing yesterday. Authorities haven't been able to track down any clues as to where he has gone. His parents have given a picture that was taken last week. If you find this kid" Azion looked at the screen, oblivious to the news.

"What the? Where the heck has Atom gone?" He began thinking. "I would understand if he left the Reality, but how did he? I thought all our genes were damaged!" A slight glow formed around Azion.

"Azion."

"Huh?" Azion looked around, certain that he heard someone.

"Azion."

"Okay, not funny!" He continued to look around, but saw no one.

"Azion, you are required once again."

"Show yourself!" Azion got up.

"You are important, more than you know. You need to return."

"Return? Return where?" The only places I saw were Bakugan and" he stopped as he was about to say the last word. "Digimon."

"You must return!" The word Digimon continued to bounce around in Azion's head. "You must protect!" The glow dimmed and vanished, leaving Azion looking around. There was nothing around, except a strange device on the seat. He looked down at it, and realized it was a D-Power.

"Whoa! That voice wasn't kidding! But how can I get there with a damaged gene?"

* * *

"Sir, the Reality is under a Code Red threat!"

"Of course it is." Grumbled the Commander. "Who is our best for Digimon combat?"

"None of us are proficient." Said Claip. "But I think I know of someone who is."

"Who?" Demanded the Commander.

"One of Atom's friends. After all five left the Bakugan Reality, they found themselves in new Realities, except Atom. Azion found himself in the Tamers reality."

"So what? It doesn't change the fact that he isn't here!"

"No, no it does not." Said Claip. A distortion appeared next to the Reality.

"Oh great. Now what?"

* * *

A Shifter appeared next to the Tamers Reality. "So, this is the next Reality we are to destroy. This should be fun!" The Shifter approached the Reality, then was blocked by some kind of shield. She bounced back. "Ugh, really? Who set up the field?"

"That would be me!" Claimed a voice. "Igneo Sphere!" The being launched a ball of lava at the Shifter, who nimbly dodged it.

"Who do you think you are?"

"I could ask the same of you!"

"I suppose you should know what you're up against. I am a Negative Shifter, brought to power by the Destruction and the harbinger of Digimon!" The being scoffed.

"The harbinger was the D-Reaper. I don't see much of it in you."

"You'll see. Now, who are you?"

"Me? My name is Dragonomon! Born from the power of my partner and brother of Guilmon! With my power to alter time and the powers of my partner to go outside of it, we are unstoppable!"

"I don't see your partner anywhere around here."

"So? That doesn't reduce my abilities!"

"Good luck with that mentality." The Shifter suddenly flew at Dragonomon and placed her hand on him. He screamed out in pain. Then she retreated a little, dark cloud in hand. "You claim power, but can you use it?" The dark cloud formed into a D-Power with a pure black coloring. The Shifter held out held other hand and a dark copy of Dragonomon formed. "Time for you to taste your own power!"

"Igneo Sphere!" Yelled the dark copy. Dragonomon was hit hard and was flung backward.

"So, that's the way you want to play it then. Very well." His eyes began to glow. "Time for me to show my true power!" His hands began to glow. "Time Wrappings!" Strange lines began to entangle the Shifter and Dark Copy.

"What is this?" Asked the Shifter. The Digimon hissed.

"You thought you could beat me? You're an arrogant fool! Time Burst!" Dragonomon fired another orb from his mouth and hit the dark copy again. It hissed. The Shifter got her hands freed from the bindings, and managed to grab a card.

"No, you're the fool!" She managed to swipe the card. "Digimodify!" Dragonomon saw the card she was slashing.

"No!" The card took effect and the dark copy broke free of the bindings, which caused the Shifter to be freed as well.

"Igneo Sphere!" The dark copy created a larger orb and blasted it. Dragonomon was hit hard.

"Okay, you've got some bite, I'll give you that." He shook his head to clear it. "But I've got some surprises of my own!" He began glowing, and soon a beam of energy was sent off of him. "It's a good thing my partner is capable of getting this, otherwise I'd be doomed!"

* * *

"Sir, we're detecting several anomalies!"

"What anomalies? Zoom in!" The scene showed the dark copy of Dragonomon and Dragonomon glowing.

"What's going on?" Asked Syark.

"I think I know what's happening." Said Claip. "It seems that the Digimon is calling for help."

"I want a full DNA scan on that Digimon, STAT!" Yelled the Commander.

"Sir, it's reading as a Guilmon."

"A Guilmon?" Asked the Commander. "It doesn't look anything like a Guilmon!"

"It's a mutated clone." Said Claip. "Just like Leonidas is to Drago."

* * *

"Okay, so I need to figure out how to use the new D-Power to get to the Reality. How the heck do I do that?" Azion noticed a several buttons on one side of it. "Okay, maybe these help." He pressed one of the furthest down and the D-Power changed into a regular Digivice. "Okay, so this one is very different from the rest of them." The Digivice changed back into a D-Power. "So, how do I use this to help? If each button changes it to a different Digivice, then how can I get to the Tamers Reality?" Another glow appeared.

"Azion, I need your help!"

"Dragonomon?"

"Yep, right here!"

"Awesome! How can I help?"

"I need you to return!"

"Um, I don't know if you've noticed, but I kinda can't. I'm stuck here." Dragonomon was silent for a moment.

"I sense something strange with the device you're holding. I think it might be the key!"

"But what can I do with it? It's not like I can just open a digigate with it!" Something clicked in Azion's head. "Wait, could that work?"

"Might as well test it, I'm in a big pickle right now! I need your help!"

"Okay!" Azion pressed another button on his D-Power and it changed, miraculously, to a D-3. "Let's hope this works!" He held it up to his computer and it began to glow. "Okay, it's going good so far." The glow enveloped him and he vanished. The glow stopped just as his sister walked down the stairs.

"Mom wants you." She looked around. Where did he go?"

* * *

"Okay, this is really cool!" Said Azion. "I just hope I get there in time!"

* * *

"Sir, we got a reading!"

"A reading of what?"

"Shifting towards the Tamers Reality!"

"But I didn't think he was capable." Said Claip.

"We got a reading of a strange device with him."

"On screen!" Commanded the Commander. A diagram of the D-Power appeared on screen. "It seems normal to me."

"I wouldn't think so." Said Claip. "I think I see something on the side." The image highlighted the buttons.

"Sir, these buttons seem to be linked to new functions."

"New functions?" Asked the Commander.

"It seems that this D-Power can change into the other types of Digivice." Said Syark. "I'm surprised."

"It also appears that he was able to open a Realital Digi-Port using the D-3 function."

"Unbelievable!" Said the Commander. "Where are all these things coming from? First Atom regains his ability to Shift, and now Azion got a strange digivice that allows him to shift as well!"

"It's all confusing." Said Syark. His computer beeped. "Sir, we got another translation!"

"Don't keep us waiting, what does it say?"

"It doesn't say anything, sir. That's the confusing part of this one. The computer translated an image."

"An image? Let me see." Said Claip. He walked up to Syark and saw five symbols in a pentagon. "Why the heck have we never heard of these Realities?"

* * *

Dragonomon got hit by another attack. "Face it, you cannot win!" The Shifter swiped another card. "Digimodify!" The dark copy's power grew again, compounding on the other power cards already played. "Anytime you're ready to give up, feel free to do so."

"No." Said Dragonomon. He was severely weakened and damaged.

"No?" Asked the shifter. "I suppose you're a glutton for punishment. Go at him!" The dark copy roared and went in to attack.

"Digimodify!" Someone yelled. Dragonomon healed a little and dodged the dark copy's attack. It growled at Azion.

"You?" Asked the Shifter. "But you were supposed to be out of commission!"

"Supposed to and being are different things!" Replied Azion. "I think it's time I show you what I mean!"

"Let's show them!" Agreed Dragonomon.

"Not on my watch!" Said the Shifter. "Digimodify!" She swiped a digivolve card.

 _Digivolution Activated._ Droned her D-Power. The dark Dragonomon began to glow and changed. Its size increased and it gained a silver stripe down its front.

"This is bad." Said Dragonomon. "She's swiped several power cards already. His power is immense!"

"Then I guess it's time that we increase our power too!" Said Azion. "Digimodify!" He swiped a card that showed several lines. "Time to show her our power!"

"I'm with you!" Yelled Dragonomon as the lines began to appear on him.

"What is this?" Asked the Shifter. The dark copy hissed.

"This is us using our power!" Said Azion. Dragonomon launched a few of the lines at the Neo Dragonomon and it got entangled.

"What the!" Yelled the Shifter. The Neo Dragonomon dedigivolved. "Big deal, I can just swipe the digivolve card again."

"It is actually a big deal." Said Dragonomon. "This ability allows me to stop you from using cards!"

"What?"

"And as a bonus, it reverses the abilities of all the other cards you played! Anytime you're ready to give up, feel free to do so." The dark Shifter growled.

"I will not give up!" She held her D-Power. "This ends now! Bio-Merge!"

"Bio-Merge?" Asked Azion and Dragonomon. The dark shifter and the dark copy combined into Fusion Dragonomon. They roared.

"Okay, this is bad!" Said Azion.

"You could say that again!" Agreed Dragonomon.

"Fusion Spear!" The Fusion Dragonomon attacked.

* * *

"Sir, the dark shifter and her dark copy have fused!" Reported a tech.

"Things are never going to be easy." Said the Commander. "Analyze Azion's Realital Gene. Relay back to me what type it is!"

"Sir yes sir!" The Commander returned to the image on Syark's computer.

"What could this be?" Asked Claip. The analysis finished.

"Sir, the analysis shows that Azion possesses an Alpha Gene."

"Another one?" Asked Syark. "That's the second one we've seen."

"Now is the time." Said the Commander. "Claip, you know the drill."

"Understood sir! Sending Gene." Claip ran off.

"Let's hope we're fast enough." Said Syark.

* * *

Azion and Dragonomon barely dodged to the side, avoiding the spear. It then came back around at them again. "Does this thing never quit?" Asked Dragonomon as it barreled toward him.

"Apparently not!" Said Azion as it missed and went after him. He grabbed another card. "Digimodify!" He swiped it and Dragonomon got a shield. He blocked the spear, and broke both the shield and spear.

"We need to hurry and figure out a plan!" Said Dragonomon.

"I know, I know! I'm thinking!" The Fusion Dragonomon fired another spear.

"Face it, you cannot win!" Claimed the Dark Shifter.

"We'll see about that!" Said Azion. "As my friend always said, never tell a shifter the odds!" He grabbed another card only for the spear to take it. "No!" Azion quickly grabbed another card only for it to be taken too. "What is up with that spear?"

"I hate to tell you this, but I think we're in trouble!" Said Dragonomon.

"No kidding!" Said Azion. Then, a glint of light sparked.

"Huh?" Asked the dark shifter as she looked at it. "No, this cannot be!" A beam of light ran into Azion.

"That was new." His hand began glowing, then it applied to his D-Power. "Ok, what's going on?"

"I think this is a good thing!" Said Dragonomon. When the glow died, there were three new symbols on the D-Power in the shape of a triangle.

"That power will not save you, Shifter!" Azion got a vision of what the new ability could do as the buttons fused together into one.

"Never say never." He said. "Perhaps you need a demonstration!" He pressed the button on the side and the D-Power changed into a Data Link Digivice.

"Is that it? You change your digivice?" Chortled the dark shifter.

"Oh no, I'm just beginning!" Said Azion. Energy began to build up inside of him. "As I am a shifter, it is possible for me to use abilities found only in other Realities. However, I am also capable of using them here!" He pressed another button on the Data Link Digivice and it changed again into a Burst Data Link Digivice. "Time for us to unleash our true power! D.N.A. Charge! Overdrive!" Dragonomon began to glow as Azion slammed his hand onto the top of the digivice. Red energy travelled into it and was sent out in a white light at Dragonomon. He digivolved into Fusion Dragonomon.

"But how?" Asked the dark shifter. She noticed Azion still outside of Dragonomon. "How did you get to Mega level without Bio-Merging?"

"Simple." Said Azion. "I used a different power!" He flipped the digivice onto its side. " Now for us to go above and beyond! Charge! D.N.A. Burst Mode!" The digivice glowed from the one side and he swiped his hand through it. Energy began building up in Dragonomon again.

"I feel a surge of power!" He glowed and digivolved again. He was now Fusion Dragonomon Burst Mode. He looked over himself and saw that his red coloring was replaced with blue and yellow armor. "This should be fun!"

"Burst Mode?" Asked the dark shifter. "But that has only been seen in"

"In the Data Squad!" Said Azion. "But my ability allows me to use any digivice needed! Go!" Dragonomon readied his attack. "By the powers of this Reality, you will be gone!" He fired at the Fusion Dragonomon, severely damaging it. It began to disintegrate, but started laughing.

"You fools." She said. "Even by defeating me, you left a window for The Destruction! Your Reality is dead now!" She continued to laugh even as she exploded into data with her dark copy.

"What's the Destruction?" Asked Dragonomon. Azion turned around.

"That I think." He said wearily. Dragonomon turned and saw a gigantic, purple mass.

"Okay, that's bad!" Azion looked at his digivice, then to his hand.

"I think I have an idea."

* * *

"Sir we got another reading of the Destruction!"

"Another one? Where?"

"Tamers."

"This is bad." Said Syark. "Azion doesn't have the power of light to combat that thing!"

* * *

"Any luck locating the new Bakugan yet?" Asked Atom.

"Not quite yet." Said Marucho. "But we're getting closer. I think."

"We better be." Said Shun. "Otherwise we'll be useless out there." The entire group was in Marucho's house, working at various computers to try and find the two new Bakugan that Atom theorized existed.

"Man, this isn't working!" Complained Dan. He slammed his fists onto the table. "Maybe we just need to try it with their other partners! One of them should work!"

"Dan, it's not that simple!" Said Atom. "Their switch codes were altered by the genes they got, and none of their old Bakugan will work for this! Otherwise we would go and get them!" Dan looked at Atom, then looked away.

"Fine. I'll keep working, but I keep my right to grumble about it."

"Deal." Said Atom. The two of them looked back to their computers only for Atom to receive a message.

"Atom!" He got up quickly.

"Azion?" He asked. He began looking around as everybody looked at him. "Did any of you hear Azion just now?"

"No." Said Marucho. "Why?"

"Atom!" Atom began looking around again. "Atom, I need your help!"

"With what?" Asked Atom, much to the confusion of the brawlers.

"Something called the Destruction." Atom gasped.

"What's wrong?" Asked Julie.

"I need to go." Said Atom. "Leo, we gotta go help Azion!"

"With what?" Asked Leo.

"The Destruction." Atom grabbed Leo without another word and vanished. The others looked at where he was.

"Um, did you guys just see him disappear too?" Asked Julie. Runo sighed.

"I guess he'll never change."

* * *

"Why did you say we had to help Azion?" Asked Leo. "Didn't you say that he was back in your home Reality?" He and Atom were floating between Realities heading towards Azion.

"He was, but he called out to me. He needs help against the Destruction."

"But what Reality would he be trying to protect?"

"I don't know, but I have a few guesses."

* * *

"Sir, Atom just left the Bakugan Reality!"

"What?" Asked the Commander. "Why?"

"I don't know, sir. Do you think it's connected to Azion?"

"Perhaps." Said Claip. "Do you think we should give them a boost?"

"Yes Claip. I do."

"On it!" Said Syark. He began pressing buttons and soon had the coordinated for a transport set up. "On your mark, sir."

"Now!" Said the Commander.

* * *

Atom and Leo were continuing on, trying to figure out what Reality Azion would be in when a silver hole appeared. They were moving too fast to avoid it and got sucked into it. "Whoa!" Yelled Atom as he and Leo were flung to another Reality. Atom shook his head to clear it, then saw a large, purple mass. "We're in the right place."

"I can agree to that." Said Leo.

"Atom!" Called out Azion. "Thank goodness you're here!"

"Always happy to help a friend." Said Atom. "Now then, you might want to back away a little."

"What do you mean?" Asked Azion.

"Ready Leo?" Asked Atom, ignoring Azion.

"Always!"

"Energy Twist! Light!" Atom's hand began glowing as Leo did as well. When he was out of the glow, he appeared to be changed.

"Whoa!" Said Azion. "Did he just evolve again?"

"Not quite." Said Atom. He floated over to Leo and got atop him. "Let's go!" Leo flew over to the mass. "Ability Activate! Negative's Blight!" Leo began firing at the mass, but was having no effect.

"Atom, this isn't working!"

"I can see that!"

* * *

"Sir, Atom's power is doing nothing against the mass!"

"What?" Asked the Commander.

"His power is attuned to the Bakugan Reality, not the Digimon one." Said Claip. "He's powerless there!"

* * *

"Azion, what is he doing and who is he?" Asked Dragonomon, returned to his normal form.

"I'm not sure." Said Azion. "But I don't like it. It's not doing anything. As to who he is, he's the friend I told you about."

"Wait, so you mean"

"Yes, he's Atom." Leo's attack faltered and stopped.

"Why didn't it work?" Asked Atom. "It worked before at the Bakugan Reality!" Azion began thinking.

"Atom's power worked against something like that at the Bakugan Reality? Amazing!" Then he began thinking about why it wasn't working now. An idea struck him. "Wait a minute, if Atom was able to combat that at the Bakugan Reality with a Bakugan, then perhaps" he looked up quickly. "Of course! It all makes sense now!" Azion looked at Dragonomon. "Ready?"

"Ready for what?" Asked Dragonomon, nervously.

"Atom and Leo can't do anything against that mass because their power is of Bakugan and not Digimon! However, the symbols on his hand line up with the ones on my D-Power!" Azion showed the symbols to Dragonomon. "So, if I'm right, that means that we can combat this thing!"

"It's worth a try!" Said Dragonomon. Atom and Leo flew to them.

"I got nothing!" Said Atom. "I can't fight this thing!"

"Then perhaps we can!" Said Azion. He looked at his D-Power again.

"Wait, since when were you a tamer?" Asked Atom.

"For a while now. This one is new, though. And it's what will give us the victory!" Azion gripped the D-Power. "I think I know how to do this." He took a deep breath as the mass loomed closer. "Energy Twist!" The symbols began to glow as Dragonomon did. "Light!" The glow concentrated on one of the symbols and Dragonomon was enveloped in light. When he emerged, he looked similar to his Fusion Dragonomon form, but was the same size as his normal form.

"Um, what's this supposed to do?" He asked.

"Not sure yet." Said Azion. "Let's find out!" He and Dragonomon charged the mass.

"Azion! Be careful!" Yelled Atom. Azion and Dragonomon drew closer to the mass.

"This is our chance to save the Reality!" Thought Azion. "I will not let it go to waste!" He grabbed a changed card from nowhere. "Ready?"

"Just say the word!"

"Digimodify!" Shouted Azion. The card glowed as it was swiped. "Let's see if it works!" The card began to flow light energy into Dragonomon, who began charging it up in his spear.

"I think it will!" Said Dragonomon. He took aim.

"Launch!" Yelled Azion. Dragonomon launched his spear right at the mass.

* * *

"Dragonomon has launched an attack?" Asked Claip. "Why?"

"I think I know why." Said Syark as the spear turned a golden color, then proceeded to accelerate and turn into a beam.

* * *

"I hope this works." Said Atom.

"You and me both." Agreed Leo. The spear struck the mass and began to plow through it. Then when it got to the other side it swooped around and struck it again . It continued its dance until the mass was in tiny pieces. Then it returned to Dragonomon.

"Time for the final strike!" Said Azion as he grabbed another card. "Digimodify!" Dragonomon charged up energy in his hand as light energy continued to flow into it.

"Lightning Crusher!" Said Azion and Dragonomon. The light leapt out of Dragonomon's hand and went right at the mass. When it struck, there was a blinding light. Everybody cast their eyes away.

* * *

Takato looked up at the sky. He saw a giant flash of light in the sky. "What's going on?" He asked. His phone rang. He answered the call.

"Takato, are you seeing this?" Asked Rika.

"If by this you mean the giant light in the sky, then yeah."

"Do you think it has something to do with the Digimon?"

* * *

The light began to die down and then vanished. As everybody looked at it, they saw nothing there, as it should be. "Whoa." Said Azion. "Now that's power!"

"You said it!" Agreed Dragonomon. Azion and Leo went up to them as both Leo and Dragonomon glowed and returned to their previous forms.

"Okay, that was impressive." Said Leo.

"I think we were able to top it, if only just." Said Atom playfully.

"You wish." Said Azion. The two began to laugh, then looked at each other again. "It sure is good to be out here again."

"You said it." Said Atom. Another hole appeared behind him. He looked at it. "I guess that's the way back to Bakugan." He looked back at Azion. "Figure out where they are. I know we'll need them." He and Leo floated toward the hole.

"Wait, what?" Asked Azion. "How are they supposed to get out here? They don't have genes!"

"The same way Dan and the others did." Said Atom. He and Leo went into the hole and it closed. Azion looked at Dragonomon in confusion, and he shrugged.

"I don't understand it anymore than you do bud." He said. "But we should probably tell the others." With that, the duo went into the Reality,

* * *

"What do you mean there's nothing on the light?" Takato asked Henry.

"There's nothing on it." Said Henry.

"So what you're saying is that it didn't exist?" Asked Rika.

"Yes, that's what the data shows." Said Henry.

"But we all saw it!" Said Takato. "Why isn't there anything on it?"

"I think I know the answer to that." Said Janyu, Henry's father, as he walked in.

"Mr. Wong?" Asked Takato.

"I've been working on getting everything I could on the light, including where it originated."

"But there's no data on it!" Argued Henry. "How could you have gotten anything from it?"

"Because of a special device that we've been making. Do you remember Azion?"

"Of course we do!" Said Takato. "It's not like he's been gone for that long."

"Well, he's not actually from here."

"We know, he told us that he was from America and" started Rika.

"No, I mean he's not actually from this world." Cut off Janyu.

"What?" Asked Takato. "But how could that be?"

"Yeah, he seemed human to us." Agreed Rika.

"He is a human, but not a regular one."

"Then what is he?" Asked Henry.

"Well, our DNA analysis on him shows that he's 99.98% human. But the remainder isn't a known species."

"Isn't that normal?" Asked Takato.

"It would be, if it wasn't for the mutation he has."

"What mutation?" Asked Rika.

"Well, we aren't sure yet, but it's not natural to humans. It's something we've dubbed gene x."

"But what does that have to do with him not being from here?" Asked Takato.

"It's simple. He's from another Reality."

"Like the Digital world?" Asked Henry.

"No, that's another dimension." Said Rika. "So, what you're saying is that he wasn't supposed to be here?" The air behind her began to shimmer.

"I don't think I need to answer that." Said Janyu. "I think he can." He pointed at the air behind them and they turned just in time to see Azion and Dragonomon come out.

"What the?" Asked Takato.

"Since when can he do that?" Asked Rika.

"Not the time." Said Henry. Azion looked over them all.

"Hey guys! Long time no see?" He noticed their questioning looks. "Right. Let me guess, Mr. Wong there just told you that I'm not from this world?"

"How did you know?" Asked Takato.

"Call it a good guess." Said Azion. "It also doesn't hurt that you're all looking at me like I have two heads."

"Okay, I think we deserve some answers." Said Henry.

"I'll leave this to you kids. You know him better than I do." Said Janyu. He calmly exited the room, and the tamers looked back to Azion.

"Okay, spill." Said Rika. "Who are you really?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Azion. "I am your friend, you know basically everything about me."

"Basically?" Asked Takato. "We know nothing about you! We don't know where you're from, we don't know what you are, heck we don't even know if you are our friend at this point!"

"Calm down." Said Azion. "I know I got some explaining to do."

"Then tell us already!" Said Rika. "No more secrecy about your past, got it?"

"Fine." Said Azion. "First question?"

"Who are you?" Asked Henry.

"I'm Azion. You guys should remember that. But I'm guessing you want me to tell you more. I'm a Reality Shifter."

"A Reality Shifter?" Asked Takato.

"Yes. I can go between Realities as if they were just across the street."

"So, if you wanted to, you could just go into the Digimon show as you wanted?" Asked Henry.

"Not quite that simple, but yes. In order to go into a specific Reality, I need to know where it is."

"Okay, so assuming all this is true, then why did you come here?" Asked Rika.

"This is a bit of a long story, so I'll try to keep it short. I left another Reality trying to find one that I belonged in, and it happened to be this one."

"Okay, so what did you come from?" Asked Takato. "If you came here, then where did you come from?"

"I came from a very different Reality, filled with the story of Bakugan."

"What is Bakugan?" Asked Rika.

"Sounds like a strange Digimon to me." Said Dragonomon. "But then again, so do all the other Realities."

"Wait, you've seen the other Realities?" Asked Rika. Dragonomon began sweating.

"No, I just went outside this one! I can't go to others that easily! Keep in mind, I only have limited time abilities!"

"I can give you the full story later." Said Azion. "Any other questions?"

"What was that light earlier?" Asked Takato.

"What light?" Asked Azion.

"The light that was brighter than the sun earlier today, dufus." Said Rika.

"Well, I wasn't exactly in this Reality at that time. I don't actually know."

"I think I can shed some light on this!" Said Dragonomon. His hands began to glow and he projected two images into the air. One showed the light and the other showed the fight. "It seems that when we attacked that strange mass, the light from the attack actually penetrated into the Reality."

"What mass?" Asked Henry.

"Oh, nothing much." Said Azion. "Just something trying to destroy this Reality."

"Destroy the Reality!?" Asked Takato. "But why?"

"I don't know." Said Azion. The three glared at him. "Seriously, I don't! I just got back to shifting a little while ago thanks to this." He held up his D-Power.

"Your D-Power?" Asked Rika. Then she noticed the button on it. Takato noticed it too.

"Hey, what does this do?" He reached out and pressed it. The D-Power glowed and turned into a D-3. "Whoa!"

"That's new." Said Henry. The D-3 turned back into a D-Power.

"Still figuring that one out too." Said Azion.

"Okay, so what is the point of all this?" Asked Rika. "If something were trying to destroy this Reality, then why did you enter it?"

"Well, it was something that my friend said to me just outside this Reality. He said that we would need you guys too."

"Need us?" Asked Henry. "What for?"

"I don't know." Admitted Azion.

* * *

"Sir, it seems that Azion wants the Tamers to be given genes."

"Really?" Asked the Commander. "I wonder why. But I guess it does make sense." He turned to Claip. "Claip"

"Way ahead of you, sir. I made sure to check everything and the genes are ready to launch."

"Then do it." Said the Commander.

* * *

"So, let's go over everything we already know." Said Henry. "This guy, having been our friend for several months, is actually some sort of alien from another Reality?"

"Not exactly an alien, but yes. I guess so." Said Azion. Dragonomon felt something off.

"Uh, guys, I'm feeling something wrong here."

"Wrong how?" Asked Azion. Then, three beams of light came into the room, and one hit each of the tamers. All three were forced back by the force of it. "Whoa! Okay, something's up." He went over to help Takato up. "You guys okay?"

"Been better." Said Takato. Azion helped Rika up.

"I'm not sure what just happened, but I don't think it should've happened." Azion went over to Henry.

"I really hope that isn't a common occurrence." He said.

"I hope the same." Said Azion. The door opened and Suzie ran in.

"Big Brother! I just got hit by light!"

"Oh boy." Said Henry. "Will you guys excuse me for a second?"

"No problem." Said Takato. Then his phone rang. He answered it quickly.

"Hey, Takato, did anything weird happen just now?" Asked Kazu.

"Define weird." Said Rika.

"Oh, Rika's there too? Anyways, weird as in being hit by light."

"Yep, that happened here." Said Takato. Rika's phone rang.

"Hey, did you guys just get hit by light too?" The voice belonged to Kenta.

"Yes, we did." Said Rika. "Wait, how did you get my number?" Henry's phone buzzed.

"Guys, something's going on here." Said Ryo. "I don't understand it, but I was just hit by a beam of light."

"Tell us something we don't know." Said Azion. Everybody on the phones went silent.

"Where have you been?" Asked Ryo.

"I'll explain that later." Said Azion. "Right now we need to figure out the significance of the lights." Then, Takato started glowing.

"Um. guys, what's going on?" Rika started to glow.

"Not sure, but I don't like it." Henry started.

"Me too?" He asked.

"Are you guys glowing?" Asked Kenta.

"I sure am." Said Kazu.

"Affirmative." Said Ryo. Then, Azion began to glow along with Dragonomon.

"Oh boy. This doesn't seem fun." All five of them vanished, then Suzie began to glow.

"Where did Big Brother go?" She too, in turn, vanished. Janyu walked back in.

"Are you kids done questioning him?" He looked around the room. "Where could they have gone?"

* * *

The tamers, Azion and Dragonomon appeared outside the Reality. Takato opened his eyes first.

"Whoa! What is this place?"

"I don't know, but I don't like the looks of it." Said Henry.

"Be on your guard." Said Rika.

"Well, it could be worse right now." Said Ryo. Everybody looked at him. "What? Am I not allowed to be here?"

"And what about us?" Asked Kazu. "It's not like we're going anywhere."

"He's right you know." Agreed Kenta.

"Well, welcome to the world of Reality Shifters." Said Azion.

"Wait, what?" Asked Henry.

"You heard me." Said Azion. "This is the place between Realities. There really isn't much more to tell."

"So, you're telling us that we just got the ability to come out here just like you?" Asked Rika.

"Hold on a second, since when can he come out here?" Asked Ryo.

"That's beside the point!" Said Azion. "Dragonomon, can you detect anything?"

"I've got nothing." Said Dragonomon. "I mean, I can feel the power of the Reality, but that's it. Nothing special from any of you."

* * *

"Success?" Asked the Commander.

"Success." Said Syark. "The tamers are no longer bound by the Reality."

"Then I guess that work is done. Activate a gate to bring them to Atom."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Hey Dragonomon, if you can come out here, could you make it so that the others could come out here too?" Asked Takato.

"Let me give it a try." Said Dragonomon. His hands began to glow, then light suddenly burst from them. Seven beams of light rained down into the Reality. Soon after, the forms of the Digimon began to appear. They all just stood in silence as they appeared. Then Takato did his best to run towards Guilmon.

"Guilmon!" Guilmon looked at him.

"Takato?" He seemed surprised, then the surprise turned to excitement. "Takato!" The two literally rammed into each other.

"Well then, they're excited to see each other." Said Henry. His eyes then got covered by Terriermon.

"And you're not happy to see me?"

"I can't see much of anything right now, can I?" Argued Henry. Each of the other Tamers rejoined their Digimon in a similar way.

"Dragonomon, what exactly did you do?" Asked Azion.

"Simple." Said Dragonomon. "I altered their digital makeup and then separated the Tachyon field around the Reality to give them a hole to get out of. Then it was a simple matter of making them travel faster than light to hit the escape velocity needed to exit the Reality."

"You lost me at 'digital makeup'." Said Azion. Dragonomon seemed ready to reiterate. "I don't need the explanation now, thank you." Suddenly, a gray hole appeared next to them.

"What is that?" Asked Renamon.

"I'm not sure." Said Azion. "All I know is that Atom came out of one earlier to try and help me."

"Who's Atom?" Asked Guardromon.

"I'll explain that later." Said Azion. "Now, as for this hole." He wasn't given the time to continue as the hole suddenly moved and swallowed them all.

* * *

 _With new Shifters entering the fold, it's no surprise that they are coming together. But when their powers combine in new ways, it might threaten everything we've worked for! Nothing can last forever, but we're trying to make all Realities last as long as possible. That can only work if everything runs smoothly, which we know it won't. Let's hope for the best._


	3. DigiBakugan?

**The reason I'm posting this early is because I need help. And SeriousGrenade, I appreciate your help, but you've already helped with this. I need more Shifters, at least one. If any of you have any ideas, don't hesitate to suggest them. The worst that can happen is that I don't put them into Reality Shift - Destruction. With that, I'm letting you guys know that the regular posting schedule for Destruction is unchanged, the next one will still be posted on the 12th. Finally, there are a few spoilers in this chapter that revolve around Reality Shift - Mechtanium Surge, but they were going to be revealed soon anyway. Enjoy!**

The origins of Shifters are related to those of the Realities, as they have been around since the dawn of time. However, as intertwined with time as they are, they cannot go long without being in a Reality. It sometimes takes them a new Reality to recover.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

The Tamers, their Digimon, Azion and Dragonomon were travelling through something comprised of only gray coloring. "What's going on?" Asked Henry.

"Not sure." Said Azion. His hand flared up with his attribute wheel. "But I think I know where we're going."

"Where?" Asked Rika.

"We're heading to the Bakugan Reality to meet up with my old friend!" The gray coloring suddenly vanished, being replaced by the typical lines of the Realities. One was directly in front of them. "Here we are."

"That line?" Asked Takato. "What's special about it?"

"I'm not sure." Said Kazu. "But I'm guessing it is."

"What exactly is Bakugan?" Asked Henry.

"Why don't we you all see for yourselves?" Asked Azion. He began going towards the Reality in front of them. Takato looked at the others and shrugged, then followed Azion. The rest followed soon after.

* * *

"So, did you guys find anything while I was gone?" Asked Atom. He had just reappeared in the room and everyone was looking at him.

"Well, we found nothing on New Vestroia and nothing on Vestal." Said Shun. "We're still searching Neathia and Gundalia."

"Any other possibilities for worlds they are on?" Asked Atom.

"Well, there's too much energy on Earth still because of the final fight with Mechtavius Destroyer, so we can't scan anytime soon." Said Marucho.

"And we can't detect anything in the Doom Dimension." Said Runo.

"And you guys are positive?"

"As positive as we can be." Said Dan. He looked at Atom to see the air shimmering behind him. "Um, something's happening back there." Atom turned around in time to see Azion appear.

"Azion?" Asked Atom. "You're early."

"I always try." He replied. He noticed Clate. "Who is he?"

"Azion?" Interrupted Runo. She looked at him. "How did you get back?"

"And where's a hello for your partner?" Asked Pyreon. Pyreon floated over to Azion.

"Hey buddy." Said Azion. "And as for how, with help from a special device." He said. He held up his D-Power.

"That's a strange Bakumeter." Said Dan.

"That's because it's not." Said Atom. "It's called a Digivice."

"A Digivice?" Asked Runo.

"Actually, it's a D-Power." Said Azion. "A specific kind of Digivice." The air behind him began to shimmer. He looked at it. "Looks like the others are coming too."

"Others?" Asked Marucho. Several beings appeared, the Tamers along with their Digimon. Takato looked around.

"Whoa! This place looks awesome!"

"I agree with you." Said Kazu.

"What?" Asked Shun. "Who are these people?" Takato looked at him and the rest of the Brawlers.

"I think we could ask the same of you."

"Yeah, who are you?" Asked Rika.

"I think Shun asked you first." Said Dan. "So you should answer first."

"I'll start." Said Henry. "It'll be better than trying to figure out who goes first." He looked at Shun. "My name is Henry Wong."

"Shun Kazami." Replied Shun.

"Takato Matsuki." Said Takato. He looked at Dan.

"Dan Kuso." Everybody introduced themselves at a rapid pace.

"So, what exactly is Bakugan?" Asked Henry.

"Only the best game ever!" Said Dan.

"Didn't you learn a long time ago that it wasn't just a game?" Asked Drago. Takato looked at him.

"How is that ball floating and talking?"

"Oh, him?" Asked Dan. "That's Drago, my partner." Guilmon sniffed him.

"He's a strange Digimon." He said.

"Back off a little please." Said Drago. Guilmon did so reluctantly. "And I am not a Digimon."

"None of us are." Said Preyas. Renamon looked at him.

"And who would you be?" Asked Renamon.

"My name's Preyas! And you are?"

"Renamon."

"Okay, introductions aside, what are you all doing here?" Asked Atom.

"Well, a strange portal appeared and swallowed us up." Said Azion. "Then it deposited us here." One of the computers beeped. Marucho ran over to it.

"Did it find anything?" Asked Atom.

"I think it did." Said Marucho. He began running the data. "Wait, they just appeared on New Vestroia."

"New Vestroia?" Asked Dan. "But we did a full sweep of the entire planet! How did they just suddenly appear?"

"Was it us coming into the Reality that triggered it?" Asked Takato.

"Possibly." Said Marucho. The DNA scans finished. Marucho studied them. "It looks like they have traces of Preyas and Skyress in them."

"That has to be them." Said Atom.

"What's going on?" Asked Azion.

"Remember how our Bakugan were custom made for us?" Asked Atom.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, all of the Brawlers were able to achieve Form Change, except Shun and Marucho."

"So you were trying to find the Bakugan that would work for them." Finished Azion. "Makes sense now." He looked at the DNA codes that Marucho had pulled up. "Hm, looks like there's something interesting in there."

"How so?" Asked Shun.

"I think I see some digital DNA in there."

"Digital DNA?" Asked Dan.

"Similar to Interspace's digital Bakugan, but to a higher level." Said Azion. "In fact," he looked at the Digimon, "similar to a Digimon's DNA."

"What?" Asked Takato and Dan.

"Before you guys go any further," said Azion, "keep in mind that they didn't appear until the rest of us did."

"That is true." Said Marucho.

"There's one other question though." Said Shun. Everybody looked at him. "Which Digimon do they share DNA with?"

* * *

The two Digimon/Bakugan hybrids were shaking off their dizziness. "Where are we?" Asked the Ventus one.

"I don't know." Replied the Aquos one. He felt a rush of power that faded quickly. "Who are we?"

The Ventus one felt the same rush. "I don't know anymore than you do." A Bakugan ran up.

"Who are you two?" Asked Amazon. "You just appeared in a giant fog cloud!"

"That's a question we're asking ourselves." Said the Ventus Bakugan.

"Do you have any idea?" Asked the Aquos one.

"I don't know, but I would like to know how strong you guys are!" Said Amazon.

* * *

"Can that analyzer analyze Digimon?" Asked Azion.

"Maybe." Said Marucho.

"Let's give it a try." Said Atom. Marucho changed the target for the analysis and it began scanning the Digimon. They glowed a little.

"I feel funny." Said Guilmon.

"Same here." Said Terriermon. The glow faded. Marucho began typing and analyzing the data. Takato walked over.

"So, how does this thing work?"

"Do you really think you can understand it, Goggle boy?" Asked Rika.

"I thought we had gotten rid of that name!" Complained Takato.

"In answer to your question, Takato, it samples the DNA of the being that we are analyzing and synthesizes it so we can see it on the screen."

"I think I understood about half of that." Said Takato.

"I'm impressed." Said Rika. Marucho overlaid the DNA strands with the unknown ones.

"I think I figured it out." He said. He pointed at Renamon and Terriermon. "The DNA shows you two."

"Us?" Asked Terriermon.

"Are you sure it's him and not me?" Asked Lopmon. "We do look fairly similar."

"Positive." Said Marucho. "Your DNA and his bear no resemblance." The computer glowed.

"Uh, what's going on?" Asked Guilmon. Two lights came out of the screen. One went to Shun while the other went to Marucho. The light stopped and revealed strange devices. They appeared similar to the D-Powers, but with a very different configuration.

"Those look like" started Marucho.

"Digivices." Finished Azion. "Incredible."

"They're Digivices?" Asked Takato.

"And they appear to be D-Powers." Said Azion. "But they're different."

"Yeah, they are." Said Henry. "I wonder why."

"Isn't it obvious?" Asked Atom. "It's because the fusion beings are both Digimon and Bakugan in nature."

* * *

Amazon was blasted backwards and rolled on the ground. The Aquos DigiBakugan looked at him in worry. "Are you okay?"

"Are you kidding me?" Asked Amazon. He leapt up. "That was awesome! Do it again!"

"I really don't want to hurt you." Said the Aquos DigiBakugan. "But if you think you can handle it."

"Hit me again!"

"Diamond Rain!" The Aquos DigiBakugan fired tiny diamonds at Amazon, similar to Renamon's Diamond Storm, blasting him backward again.

* * *

"So, how are we going to get to them?" Asked Dan.

"I think I know a way." Said Atom. "Shifters can make their own gates, remember?"

"Yeah, but you said that only Shifters can" started Marucho. "Oh, right. We are Shifters now!"

"So that means we can all use them." Atom focused his energy and opened a gate in front of him. "Everybody who's coming better head over here!" Everybody went over and entered the gate.

"Hopefully this doesn't take long!" Said Azion. Marucho looked at his Digivice.

"So, how do you use this thing?"

* * *

"Okay, that one was a little rough." Said Amazon. He slowly got up.

"If you want to, I can stop." Said the Aquos DigiBakugan.

"No way! This is way too much fun!"

"You probably should stop soon." Said the Ventus DigiBakugan. "Lest you be destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Asked Amazon. "No way! Hit me again!"

"Fine, but this is the last one." Said the Aquos DigiBakugan. We exited the gate nearby. "Diamond Rain!" We all saw the Aquos DigiBakugan attacking Amazon.

"He's attacking Amazon!" Yelled Dan. "Drago!"

"I'm on it!" Said Drago. The DigiBakugan looked at him.

"Who are you?" Asked the Ventus one.

"I think we should ask you who you think you are!" Said Drago.

"What do you mean?" Asked the Aquos DigiBakugan. "He was asking for it."

"We don't believe you!" Said Dan. "Ability"

"Wait!" Called Amazon. Dan looked at him. "I actually was asking him to attack me!"

"What?" Asked Drago.

"But why?" Asked Dan.

"It was fun!" Said Amazon. Dan nearly fell over.

"I guess there's no accounting for Amazon being himself." Said Atom.

"That attack you used," started Renamon, startling everyone, "it seems familiar."

"Who are you?" Asked Amazon. He looked at Renamon. "You're awfully small for a Bakugan."

"I am not a Bakugan." Said Renamon. "I am a Digimon."

"What's a Digimon?" Asked Amazon.

"Not the time Amazon." Said Dan. Marucho looked at the Aquos DigiBakugan and Shun looked at the Ventus one.

"So, who are you?" Asked Shun.

"We don't really know." Said the Ventus DigiBakugan.

"We just appeared here, in a fog cloud according to him." Said the Aquos DigiBakugan.

"A fog cloud?" Asked Marucho.

"Sounds like a Bio-Emerge." Said Rika.

"A Bio-Emerge?" Asked Marucho. "What's that?"

"It's what happens when a Digimon enters the real world." Said Takato. "According to a few people we've had help from, the Digimon use it as a way to convert their data into physical bodies."

"So, are you saying that" started Marucho.

"I think he is." Interrupted Henry. "They're from the Digital World of your Reality."

"But there was only one thing that could even be comparable to a Digital Reality, and that was Bakugan Interspace." Said Azion. "And it was destroyed."

"Well, some of it has to remain." Said Rika. "Otherwise there wouldn't be anything for them to come from."

"While this is very interesting, it still doesn't tell us who we are." Said the Ventus DigiBakugan.

"Yeah, all it does is confuse us more." Agreed the Aquos DigiBakugan.

* * *

"Sir, we've detected 2 new beings in the Bakugan Reality."

"DNA analysis, now!" The scanner activated and took samples.

"Sir, these readings have to be wrong." Said Syark.

"How so?"

"For one thing, they register as Bakugan and Digimon."

"What?" Asked the Commander. "Which ones?"

"It seems that one of them has traces of Skyress and Terriermon DNA while the other shows Preyas and Renamon DNA."

"This is an interesting development." Said Claip. "Do you think it's possible that"

"Yes, it is possible and it has happened." Said the Commander.

* * *

"Okay, so you guys don't know who you are, or even what you are?" Asked Marucho.

"Not that we know of." Said the Aquos DigiBakugan.

"Okay, I think I know what you guys are." Said Atom. "You two are fusion Bakugan created from both Bakugan and Digimon DNA. As such, you should have the powers of both." He gestured to Shun and Marucho. "And these two are your partners because of their Digivices. It shows that you are connected to each other."

"Okay, so if we're connected, then what can we do?" Asked the Ventus DigiBakugan.

"First things first." Said Azion. "You two need names." He looked at Clate and the Subterra Bakugan. "I also need to be introduced to you two."

"Well, what names do you suggest?" Asked Shun.

"They're Digimon Bakugan hybrids." Said Marucho. "It could be anything!" Henry looked at Terriermon and then to Skyress above, then back to the Ventus DigiBakugan.

"Well, what if their names are combinations of the partners they are made of?" He suggested. Shun nodded.

"That could work."

"But what could they be?" Asked Marucho.

"Teress?" Thought Atom out loud. "Or maybe Skyrer?"

"Neither of those seem to work." Said Azion.

"Renas." Said Rika. She looked at Marucho. "If I remember right, your partner was named Preyas, right?"

"You bet you're right!" Said Preyas.

"Well, Renamon is divisible into two parts, and one of them actually fits with part of Preyas's name."

"That could work!" Said Marucho, excitedly. "What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect." Said Renas. "But what about her?" Renas gestured to the Ventus DigiBakugan.

"Still working on that one." Said Atom.

"How about Teressmon?" Asked Terriermon.

"Teressmon?" Asked Shun. "Why?"

"I combined our names and added mon to it!" Said Terriermon.

"Teressmon." Said the Ventus DigiBakugan. "I like it."

"You do?" Asked Terriermon.

"Yes, I do!" Said Teressmon.

"With that out of the way, now we need to figure out what they can do." Said Atom.

"You mean" started Marucho.

"Yes, Form Change." Said Atom. "Go for it!" Marucho's Attribute wheel glowed Ventus while Shun's glowed Darkus. "Marucho, it was your theory, you go first."

"Form Change!" Said Marucho, without hesitation. "Ventus!" Renas and Marucho glowed and changed into Ventus.

"Way to go Marucho buddy!" Said Preyas.

"Form Change!" Called Shun. "Darkus!" Teressmon and Shun glowed together and changed.

"I knew you could do it, Shun." Said Skyress. Both pairs returned to normal. Marucho fell backwards.

"That was more difficult than I thought it would be." He said.

"It is difficult the first few times." Said Azion.

"But now that we have everybody capable, we can move onto whatever's next." Said Atom.

"What could be next?" Asked Dan.

"For starters, we need to figure out why the Tamers came here in the first place. And we also need to figure out what other abilities Shun and Marucho have with their new partners."

"Other abilities?" Asked Marucho. "What other abilities?"

"Well, your partners are of both Bakugan and Digimon DNA, so it's likely that they have both sets of powers." Said Azion. "And I know a very easy test." He grabbed a card from his pocket and tossed it to Marucho. He caught it. "Swipe that through your D-Power on the gray side and call out Digimodify."

"Okay, I can try." Said Marucho. He got a good grip on his rectangular D-Power, and tried to slide the card through. It didn't work. "Nothing."

"Let me give it a try." Said Shun. Marucho handed him the card, and Shun tried to swipe it, but to no avail. "Okay, so that's out."

"Well, if they can't swipe our cards, what cards can they swipe?" Asked Rika. "And here's another question, can you guys fight both Bakugan and Digimon?"

"Well, I don't know about the first question, but I bet we can figure out the second pretty easily!" Said Dan. He turned to Marucho and Shun. "So, who's going first against me?"

"You can't be serious, Dan." Said Shun. "We still don't know anything about them or even if they can fight Bakugan or Digimon."

"Well there's only one way to find out!" Said Dan.

"Enough!" Yelled Azion. "If anybody is going to see if the fusion Bakugan can fight both Bakugan and Digimon, it's going to be me."

"Why you?" Asked Marucho.

"I'm the only one here of both Bakugan and Digimon." Stated Azion. "With my partners Pyreon and Dragonomon, I can battle with both at the same time."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Said Dan. He turned to Azion. "But I still want to battle."

"Dan will be Dan." Said Atom. "But Dan did raise a good question."

"He did?" Asked Runo. "Now that's a shocker."

"Oh, can it Runo!" Said Dan.

"Yes, Dan did raise a good question." Atom turned to Shun and Marucho. "Who's going first?" Shun stepped forward.

"I'll go." He said. "If anything, I'm more capable of working on the fly with a new partner than Marucho is."

"That's definitely true." Agreed Marucho.

"Then let's get this show on the road!" Said Dan. Shun and Azion backed away a bit from the rest of the group and each other.

"What are they doing?" Asked Takato.

"I don't know, but we should probably just watch." Said Rika. Atom opened a gate and went through it. He reappeared seconds after with two devices in his hands. He ran over to Azion, then to Shun, handing one to each of them.

"Are you ready, Azion?" Asked Shun.

"I've always been ready." Replied Azion.

"Gauntlet, Power Strike!" All of the Bakugan reverted to their ball forms, much to the surprise of the Tamers.

"Uh, what just happened to them?" Asked Ryo.

"Did our new friends disappear big brother?" Asked Suzie.

"We're still here." Said Drago. He floated in front of her. "This is just our form when we're not on New Vestroia or in a battle area."

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Azion. "Bakugan, Stand! Rise Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon!" Pyreon rose. "Time for you to join the fray Dragonomon!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Shun. "Bakugan, Stand! Let's go Ventus Teressmon!"

"It's good to be back to brawling!" Said Pyreon.

"Let's go for it!" Said Dragonomon.

"I hope this will be a good lesson for all of us." Said Teressmon. Shun tried to grab a card, but had nothing.

"Hold on." He said. "What abilities do you have?"

"What are abilities?" Asked Teressmon. Dan fell over.

"Oh boy. This isn't going to be very fair, now is it?" Asked Azion. Then he got an idea. "Hold on, maybe, just maybe." He looked over at Dan. "Hey Dan, think you could lend Shun a few of your Ability Cards?"

"What for?" Asked Dan.

"Just trust me, okay?"

"Fine." Said Dan. He grabbed several of Drago's ability cards and gave them to Shun.

"What exactly do you want me to do with them?" Asked Shun.

"Try swiping one." Answered Azion. Shun took notice of the swipe area on his D-Power.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot." He grabbed an ability. "Let's hope this works." He swiped the card and Teressmon began to glow. She then moved faster than we could see. "Dragon Thrasher!"

"What the?" Asked Dan. Teressmon rammed into Pyreon.

"Ability Activate!" Said Azion. "Fire Welder!" Pyreon's hands turned into blades of fire and he swiped at Teressmon.

"In case you hadn't noticed, we don't go down that easily!" Said Pyreon. Azion lifted his D-Power.

"Digimodify!" Dragonomon began to glow. "Digivolution Activate!" Dragonmon's data began to reconfigure itself. Before long, he was digivolved into Neo Dragonomon. He had a similar appearance to Neo Dragonoid.

"Whoa!" Said Rika. "Azion isn't going easy on him!"

"I certainly hope Teressmon has a few tricks up her sleeve." Said Renamon.

"I'm certain she does." Said Rika.

"Ingeo Blaster!" Called Dragonomon. He fired a beam of lava at Teressmon.

"DigiAbility Activate!" Called Shun. He swiped the card. "Fusion Shield!" Dragonomon's attack hit the shield and was blocked. "Well, I guess we've shown that Teressmon can battle both Bakugan and Digimon."

"Yeah, well this battle isn't over yet!" Said Azion. "Ability Activate! Pyronic! Digimodify!" Pyreon created a red aura around Dragonomon, and Dragonomon began to glow and speed up. He rammed into Teressmon, knocking her over. "That's more like it!"

"Good luck keeping up that streak!" Bantered Shun. "DigiAbility Activate! Dragon Tornado!"

"Ability Activate!" Called Azion. "Firenic Shield!" Pyreon took the blow of the Dragon Tornado, but was unaffected. "Dragonomon, I think we should really test them, what do you think?"

"I think it's time for us to combine!" Agreed Dragonomon.

"Wait, is he really?" Asked Takato. Azion gripped his D-Power tightly.

"Yep, he's going to do it!" Said Henry. "Everybody, take cover!" He yelled. Everybody ran around, trying to find some form of cover.

"Biomerge, Activate!" Called Azion. He brought his D-Power to his chest and everybody could see a bubble form around him. Atom and the Tamers could envision Dragonomon and Azion fusing together. When the process was done, and the dust settled, they could see Pyreon and Fusion Dragonomon, but no Azion.

"Where did he go?" Asked Dan.

"Right here." Said Fusion Dragonomon.

"You absorbed him?" Asked Marucho. "What is wrong with you?"

"Not quite." Said a slightly different voice from Fusion Dragonomon.

"Wait, did Azion actually merge with Dragonomon?" Asked Runo.

"We call that a Biomerge." Said Rika. "It allows our Digimon to hit Mega level by combining with us. It also allows us to work with them."

"That's the basics of it!" Said Fusion Dragonomon as Azion.

"So, all you did was lower your numbers." Said Shun. "I can work with that!"

"Can you?" Asked Pyreon. "I'm not sure why I don't believe in you with this battle, but I don't Shun. No offence?"

"None taken." Said Shun. "DigiAbility Activate! Dragon Exploder!"

"Fusion Spear!" Fusion Dragonomon launched his attack as Teressmon launched hers. The spear punched through Teressmon's attack and bowled into her. She glowed, defeated. Dragonomon and Azion split apart and Pyreon returned to Azion. He walked up to Shun.

"Good brawl."

"Same here." The two shook hands.

"Okay, what just happened?" Asked Runo.

"That was me and Dragonomon fusing together to become far more powerful." Said Azion. "It's called a Biomerge, and all the tamers can do it. Well, at least me, Takato, Rika, Henry and Ryo. Not sure if the others will get the ability or not."

"Well, at least mine is already a Mega level." Said Kenta. "But he's right about only them having the ability."

"Anyways," started Atom, "we now know that they can fight both Digimon and Bakugan. That should help against the Destruction. Now the only thing we need to do is figure out what it is." Everybody nodded.

"I still want to know the full story between you two." Said Takato, mentioning Atom and Azion.

"Well, it actually started on this planet." Started Azion

* * *

 _Well, this is quite the test. I hope to pass it with flying colors. Atom and Azion have saved their Realities, but now I must save mine. I can only hope that my strengths are not countered here. Wait a second, what's that light? And why can I now access more? I really hope this isn't bad, because otherwise this Reality is doomed to be destroyed!_


	4. A Touch of Magic

**And here we ramp up even more with Reality shift - Destruction. This time, troubles arise in more ways than one. Enjoy, all!**

With everything happening, it's a wonder nothing has broken yet. However, not everything can run smoothly forever. It sometimes takes loss and suffering to bring about the best in everyone.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

We had returned to Marucho's house with the two new Bakugan. Azion was just finishing his story. "And with that, Dan and Drago, along with Dragonoid Destroyer, took out Mechtavius Destroyer. It was then decided that us Shifters were going to leave, and two of us left swiftly. Atom remained and left with Dan on his boat. As far as I know, that's the end of the story."

"I told Dan about how I thought my gene was damaged, and then left the Reality telling him that he helped me." Said Atom. "After all, if it wasn't for him and the Battle Brawlers, I don't think I would've ever returned home." The tamers were quiet for a second.

"Wow." Said Takato. He looked at Azion. "I never would've thought you were that powerful here."

"Believe me, I wasn't that powerful." Said Azion. "Atom here, now he was powerful. He was capable of besting Dan quite easily, but always held back."

"Wait, are you saying that Atom's better than me?" Asked Dan.

"Not the time or place, Dan." Said Atom. "And he was including Attributic Split into what he said."

"Oh, okay then. That makes sense."

"But one question still remains." Said Rika. "Why are we here?"

* * *

"Breaking news!" Blared the TV. Chaos ran up to it to try and turn it off, but to no avail as his dad was already there. "Another area has been destroyed for unknown reasons!" The screen showed what used to be a lake, but everything was gone from it. "Officials say is was a natural occurrence, but skeptics are saying otherwise."

"It's a conspiracy to stop us from discovering their weapons of mass destruction!"

"Weapons? Try a cover up for aliens!"

"In other news, two boys have been reported missing around the same time both of the previous acts of destruction had occurred. Are they related?" The screen then showed the park that was destroyed and the lake, with Atom and Azion above them.

"Hold on, aren't those your friends?" Asked Chaos's dad.

"They are." Said Chaos. "Let me call them." He grabbed his phone and dialed Atom. It rang and rang, but to no avail.

"This phone has been disconnected."

"Okay, let me try again." He called Azion, only for the same thing to happen. "I'm going to go over to his house, I think I might find something there."

"Drive safe." Said his dad. "And be home by noon!"

"Okay dad!" Chaos left the apartment room and walked down the stairs.

"Chaos." Chaos turned around quickly, but saw nobody. "Chaos."

"Who are you?" Asked Chaos. He continued to look around. "The only ones who call me that are my friends."

"Chaos! The time is now!"

"Time for what?"

"Your knowledge is required, and your magic as well." Chaos kept looking around, not seeing anyone. Then, in a flash of light, something appeared. Chaos reached out to catch it as it fell to him, and the glowing stopped. He was perplexed about it being a deck of cards.

"Wait, is this a Magic: The Gathering deck?"

"You must return!" A card glowed in the deck, and pulled itself out. Chaos looked at it. It was called 'Shift' and had no mana cost. He grabbed it..

"And how exactly do I use this?" Suddenly, the card flared brighter and a strange gate appeared. It sucked Chaos in and closed just as his dad opened the apartment door.

"You forgot the keys!" He called. He looked around, not seeing Chaos. "Huh? I wonder where he went."

* * *

"What's happening?" Asked Chaos. "Where the heck am I going?" The tunnel the lit up like a christmas tree, revealing that he was between Realities. "Whoa! But I thought I couldn't get back here!"

* * *

"Sir, we're reading another warning!"

"Which Reality?" Asked the Commander. An image pulled up, showing a Reality and five symbols. "Wait, isn't that the"

"Magic Reality?" Asked Claip. "Yes, it is." The Commander began thinking.

"Put up the symbols shown by the ancient text!" Within seconds, the symbols were on another screen. The Commander and Claip examined them.

"No way." Said Syark as he looked up. "You mean those five symbols are?"

"The five colors of Magic." Said the Commander. "Who do we have skilled with this Reality?"

"Sir, we're reading another anomaly!"

"Let me guess, another Shifter?"

"Yes sir!" The screen zoomed in on Chaos as he exited his gate.

"Who is that?" Asked Syark.

"I believe his Shifter name is Chaos." Said Claip. "Should I prepare an Omega Gene?"

"Yes, prepare one, but don't launch it yet." Said the Commander. Claip ran down to the engineering room. "I hope that we don't need it."

* * *

Chaos looked around. "Where am I?" He then turned and saw the nearest Reality. "Okay, how did I get here so fast?"

"Destroy!" Yelled someone. Chaos looked quickly at the source of the noise and saw another Shifter. Chaos went over to him.

"Who are you?" The other Shifter stiffened as he heard Chaos, and turned slowly to him. "I'll ask again, who are you?"

"Destroy!" Yelled the other Shifter. A small, purple mass suddenly appeared next to Chaos and struck him. He flew backwards as his shirt sleeve melted.

"Okay, not the friendly type I see."

"Destroy!" Yelled the other Shifter. He held up a card. "Might Beyond Reason!" The purple mass got stronger.

"So, this is the Magic Reality." Said Chaos. He looked at his new deck, then back to the approaching mass. "I think I can do this!" He drew a card. "Lightning Axe!" The card turned into a large Axe and Chaos gripped it hard. The mass approached, and he swung. The mass dissolved.

"You cannot win!" Yelled the other Shifter. "Destroy Doom!" Several more masses appeared. A few stayed by the Shifter, but the rest went after the Reality itself. Chaos grabbed another card.

"Not on my watch! Attack Order!" The masses changed their target from the Reality to Chaos. He was hit several times. "Okay, that hurt a little." He looked at his deck, then to his hand. "I think I might need some help here! I just hope he can."

* * *

"That is a good question." Said Marucho. "And it's one we've been trying to figure out for ourselves."

"Well, there's the idea that we aren't enough." Said Azion. "After all, there was only five of us."

"Five?" Asked Henry. "I only see you and Atom here."

"He's right." Said Atom. "Our other friends are still back home."

"Back home?" Asked Dan. "You mean the first Reality?" Atom nodded.

"And if I remember correctly, none of them were capable of Shifting." He and Azion suddenly got a message. "Okay, I just got some sort of message."

"Same here." Said Azion.

"It's almost like when you contacted me, Azion." Said Atom. Then they heard Chaos.

"If you guys can hear me, I need some help! I'm by the Magic Reality!"

"Magic?" Asked Atom. "As in Magic: The Gathering?"

"One and the same!" The communication was suddenly shut down. Atom and Azion looked at each other.

"We need to go"

"Right now."

"No, you're not leaving us behind!" Said Runo. "Either we all go, or none of us go!"

"Yeah, you're not leaving us behind for this!" Said Rika. The two looked at each other. "We sound somewhat similar."

"I never noticed before." Said Runo.

"That's beside the point." Said Dan. "So, are we going or not?"

"Fine." Said Atom. "All those who want to go can. We might as well teach you how to leave a Reality while we're at it."

"Awesome!" Said Dan. "Let's get to it!"

"Okay, let's get started." Said Atom. "First, focus on what you know about this Reality. Then, focus on the space beyond. Finally, feel yourself go out of phase with the Reality, and leave it."

"I don't think we can do that." Said Henry. "After all, we don't really know this Reality."

"Don't worry." Said Azion. "You just need to separate the layers of this Reality to make an opening." The others seemed even more dumbfounded than before. "Okay, maybe we should show you. Grab on!" The tamers grabbed onto Azion while the Brawlers grabbed onto Atom. The Digimon and Bakugan partners made sure to be connected to their partners. "Here we go, ready Atom?"

"Always." Clate then let go. "Clate? What's wrong?"

"I think I should try getting out there myself." He said. "I just feel like I need to."

"Don't worry, you'll get it." Said Azion. "But we need to be off." He glowed and vanished, along with the Tamers.

"We'll meet you out there." Said Atom as he glowed and vanished, along with the Brawlers. Clate sighed.

"I wish I could get these visions out of my head, but I can't. The Destruction still taints me, and I can't break free. I feel like I should tell them, but I don't think I can."

"Why not?" Asked the Subterra Bakugan.

"I don't know. It's something I hope to figure out." He began to glow. "For now, though, I will learn everything I can and figure out my own path." He closed his eyes and vanished along with the Subterra Bakugan. When he opened them again, he saw the others.

"Are we ready?" Asked Atom.

"Let's go." Said Azion. The entire group began heading away from the Bakugan Reality.

* * *

"Sir, the Brawlers, Shifters and Tamers have left the Bakugan Reality!"

"They have?" Asked the Commander. "What for?"

"Could it be for Chaos, sir?" Asked Syark.

"The possibility is there." Said the Commander. "Open a gate!"

"On it, sir."

* * *

Chaos was blown back again by another attack. "Face it, your destruction is now! Everything you remember about it is history!"

"Remember about what?" Asked Chaos. Then he recalled something.

"Your knowledge is required, and your magic as well."

"I need to defend this place." Said Chaos. He looked at the other Shifter. "And I will defend it!"

* * *

"Sir, I think we need to launch the gene." Said Claip. "Chaos is losing his battle." An alarm began blaring as an image of the Reality pulled up. A large mass was closing in on it.

"Launch it." Said the Commander. "He needs it."

"And sir, just because I know you're forgetting this, Chaos does have an Alpha gene."

"Just launch it." Claip ran off again. "We can't fool around anymore. We just can't."

* * *

The entire group was floating along, trying to figure out where to go. Dan pulled up close to Atom. "So, why can't the others get genes?"

"The others?"

"You know, everybody else we've ever met in our travels?"

"I don't know." Said Atom. "But it's something I want to find out." He heard a dull noise. "I think we found our ride!" He looked ahead and saw a silver gate. "Last one in isn't a Shifter!" He called. Azion got there first, followed by the Tamers. Then the Brawlers and Atom got there, moments ahead of Dan."

"I only lost because you pushed me back." Said Dan.

"Yeah, yeah." Said Atom. "The important thing is" the gate closed.

* * *

"I will not go down!" Said Chaos.

"Your choice." Said the other Shifter. "I guess I should tell you something, though. This Reality is Doomed!"

"Doomed?"

"The Destruction is upon it!"

"The Destruction?" The other Shifter just laughed as Chaos saw a large, purple mass floating near the Reality. "Whoa! How did you summon that?"

"I didn't. It summoned itself!" A golden gate appeared above.

"Chaos!" Yelled Atom. Chaos and the other Shifter looked up.

"No! It can't be!" Yelled the other Shifter.

"Down here!" Yelled Chaos. Atom, Azion, the Brawlers and Tamers went down to him. They all faced the other Shifter.

"It's good to see you again." Said Vladitor.

"It sure is." Said Chaos.

"I will not let this be my last stand!" Yelled the Shifter.

"Oh, shut up Negative Shifter!" Shouted Atom. "We've faced your kind and won easily!"

"But this time is different!"

"Different how?" Asked Azion.

"It's the decks." Said Chaos, worriedly. "We both have decks, but you guys don't! You can't fight!"

"What?" Asked Atom.

"Now is the time!" Said the Negative Shifter. He grabbed another card. "Demolition!" More small masses appeared and attacked Chaos. He was blown backwards again, nearly defeated.

"Chaos, you need to heal up!" Said Azion.

"I can't." Said Chaos. "This deck has no life gain." A flash of light flared up.

"Incoming!" Yelled Takato. A beam of light hit Chaos. The familiar triangle appeared on his deck as it glowed.

"What just happened?" Asked Chaos.

"I'll explain later!" Said Atom. "Quickly, say Energy Twist! Light!"

"Okay, here it goes." Said Chaos. "Energy Twist! Light!" His deck changed from its normal coloring to a brighter one as the Light symbol glowed. Then, Chaos glowed, revitalized. "What's happening?"

"Something that needed to." Said Azion. "Now fight, fight like your life depends on it!" Chaos's deck glowed again and the top card floated in front of him. He grabbed it to see the very card he needed.

"I think I can use this." He played it. "This is a new one for me! Time for me to bring down Heaven's Light!" The card flashed a bright, golden color as it sent a large beam of energy at the Negative Shifter. "This card is capable of destroying anything with darkness in their heart. That makes you a valid target!" The Negative Shifter began to dissolve.

"Even as I die," he started, "you are too late." He faded out of existence. The card stopped glowing.

"I did it." He said. "I really did it!"

"No time for celebrations yet." Said Atom. "There's still another problem." He pointed at the giant mass.

"Whoa!" Yelled Dan. "What is that thing?"

"That would be the Destruction." Said Azion. "And the only one here who can combat it is Chaos."

"Him?" Asked Rika. "What about you two?"

"We cannot fight it here." Said Atom. "I am of Bakugan and he is of Digimon. Chaos is the only one here of Magic."

"Wait, what?!" Asked Chaos.

"You need to focus." Said Atom. "Send everything you have at that thing!"

"I'll try." Said Chaos. He focused, and drew a card. It flashed brightly and he looked at it. "I hope this works!" He played it. "Time for Heaven's Banishing!" A giant cloud of light formed above the mass, and lightning rained down. It struck the mass, causing it to pull back a little. "I will not let up, not now, not ever!" The cloud produced more lightning and began to cage the mass. It continued to reel, seeming to shrink. Then, the lightning began to compress onto it. The light got brighter and brighter and everybody shielded their eyes. Then, nothing. The light vanished and the mass disappeared. "Whoa."

"I'll say." Said Dan. He turned to Atom and Azion. "Is that what happened with both of you?"

"Not quite." Said Atom. "We destroyed the masses, yes, but not like that." Chaos turned from the void to Atom and Azion as his deck returned to normal. "So, what's been going on with you two?"

"Nothing much, just saving Realities." Said Azion. "You?"

"Well, I was back home when I suddenly heard a voice."

"You heard a voice too?" Asked Atom.

"Wait, did all of us hear a voice?" Asked Azion. Dan floated over.

"Um, what's going on over here?"

"I'm asking that too." Said Marucho as he floated over.

"Well, apparently each of us heard a voice just before we shifted again." Said Atom. "It allowed me to regain my Attribute Wheel."

"It gave me my D-Power." Said Azion.

"And it gave me a deck." Said Chaos.

"So, any idea what this voice belongs to?" Asked Alice. Everybody else began floating over.

"What voice?" Asked Takato.

"Who's hearing voices, big brother?" Asked Suzie.

"I'm not sure." Said Henry. "That's what we're over here to find out."

* * *

"My plans keep getting delayed." Said a being. "I must figure out how to combat them, otherwise I may be locked away forever." The being looked at the image of Atom. "You will have to wait. I need to stop these setbacks." The being began to think. "I think I have an idea." More images began to appear. "I think I can combat them with the villains of their past." The being was able to see Naga, King Zenoheld, Emperor Barodius, Mag Mel, Mechtavius Destroyer and the D-Reaper. "Now, who to use first." Another screen appeared, surprising the being. Then it got an idea. "I believe this one will work nicely." The image shown was Spectra, as he was first seen. "All I need to do is take him."

* * *

Keith was sitting down in his room, thinking. "That light I saw earlier, what could it have been? Perhaps the Brawlers have an idea."

"What are you thinking about Keith?" Asked Mira as she walked in. "You seemed distracted."

"I was just wondering about the light we saw earlier. There's no data on it, but everybody saw it."

"I know." Said Mira.

"Do you think it has to do with the Shifters?" Asked Helios. No one noticed the black smoke entering the room.

"Anything is possible." Said Keith.

"I just hope everything is okay." Said Wilda. The smoke crawled toward Keith and Mira, then lunged. Keith noticed it, grabbed Mira and jumped out of the way just in time. The smoke missed them.

"What is that thing?" Asked Helios as he floated up.

"I don't know, but I feel like it has to do with that light we saw earlier." Said Keith. The smoke lunged again, and Keith pushed Mira out of the way. The smoke grabbed him.

"Keith!" Keith was trying to force his way out of the smoke, but failed to.

"No! I won't let you take him!" Yelled Helios. He began trying to pull on Keith's hand, but being in ball form made it impossible for him to do anything. Instead, the smoke reached out and grabbed him too.

"Keith! Helios!" Yelled Mira.

"Don't worry about us for now!" Said Keith. "Tell Dan and the others, maybe they'll be able to help!" The smoke reached out onto a nearby table and grabbed Spectra's red mask. Mira gasped.

"Keith!" The smoke vanished, taking Keith, Helios and the mask with it. A small paper fell to the ground. Mira fell to her knees, unable to understand why Keith was taken.

"Mira, are you okay?" Asked Wilda. Mira was beginning to cry.

"I don't understand it. We've been at peace for years. What changed?" Mira then noticed the piece of paper on the ground. She grabbed it, and saw Keith's picture on it. She managed to stop crying, and got back up. "We need to tell Dan and the others. Hopefully they'll be able to help."

"Let's go then!" Said Wilda. Mira ran out of the room, and didn't notice the smoke coming in again to grab something from Keith's closet. It was his old, red outfit.

* * *

"Okay, we need to head back to the Bakugan Reality." Said Marucho. "We need something that has massive computational power to be able to compile all the data we have and figure out what the heck is going on."

"Actually, the Hypnos corporation in the Digimon Reality has all the computational power we need." Said Henry. "It was scanning the entire Digital world in the past."

"But in the Bakugan Reality, we have more people to help." Argued Marucho.

"More isn't always better." Said Henry. Atom then felt something.

"Hold on guys, something feels off." He said. Then he got a vision of Keith being taken. "Back to Bakugan, now!"

"What for?" Asked Dan.

"I don't know how and I don't know why, but Keith was taken from Vestal." Dan, Shun and Marucho gasped.

"We need to get back there, now!" Said Dan. As if in answer, a golden gate opened nearby. Dan looked at it. "Let's go!" He floated off first, followed quickly by everybody else.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't find them?" Asked Mira.

"I'm sorry, Miss Mira, but Master Marucho and the others are nowhere to be found on any of the known planets."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Complained Mira. She didn't notice the air shimmering behind her. Kato gasped. "What's wrong?"

"We're getting a reading of them now." Said Kato. "And it seems that they're right behind you."

"Right behind me?" Asked Mira. We entered the Reality. "I don't think that's" she turned to see us. "Uh, what?"

"We'll explain later." Said Dan. "Right now, we need to find Keith!"

"How did you know?" Asked Mira. She saw a hand go up, and followed the arm to see Atom. "When did you get back?"

"Not just me, Azion and Chaos too." Said Atom.

"Hold on, what's going on?" Asked Mira.

"Let's just say I got a vision of Keith being taken by some smoke." Said Atom. "Now, we need to figure out where he went."

* * *

A light flashed onto Keith, momentarily blinding him. When he was able to see again, he was restrained on an angled table and Helios was inside a tube. "Where am I?" He asked. He could hear an evil laugh.

"Nowhere special, just at the very edge of existence."

"The edge of existence?" Keith began struggling. "Who are you? Why are we here?"

"Me? I'm everyone's worst nightmare." A being appeared behind the light, shrouded by shadow. "As for why you are here, it is time for me to get the evils across Realities. You're the first, so you should feel lucky."

"The evils across Realities?" Asked Keith. He struggled against the bindings again. "I'm no longer evil! I've changed my ways thanks to the Brawlers!"

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong." Said the being. "All you've managed to do is restrain your evil. It's still there, buried deep inside. I think it's time we release it." Keith continued to struggle as something appeared to his right. It was his old Vexos outfit. "Now, all you need to do is remain right there." The being laughed. Keith continued to struggle as he noticed his outfit had some technology in it. "What's in there?"

"Nothing much, just some neural controlling machinery. Basically, I'll be able to control you until your evil returns." Keith was able to do nothing as his old cloak was put over him and he lost control of his body. It was only then that the restraints were released. Keith stood not of his own volition and looked at the being.

"What have you done to me?" His body acted on its own accord and turned the cloak the correct way.

"I have control of you now. Deal with it." The being held out his mask, or at least a copy of it, out. Keith's hand reached out and grabbed the red mask. "Also, your current Helios will not be of use to you, so I've taken the liberty of making another one." The being held out its hand again, showing a Pyrus Viper Helios. "It is also loaded with Forbidden Abilities so that you can completely decimate the Brawlers." Keith's hand started to bring the mask to his face.

"No." Said Keith. His hand stuttered a little, but resumed course.

"Too bad you don't have a choice." Said the being. "Your mask has the same capabilities as your cloak, so it'll take over your mind. You'll be entirely under my control soon. Don't fight it, embrace it! Let the evil flow once again!" Keith's hand put the mask on, and it activated. Keith was forced into the back of his mind, able to see but unable to interact. Spectra had taken over.

"My liege." Said Spectra as he kneeled down.

"At ease." Said the being. "Now, take this special Bakugan and destroy the brawlers! Bring the Destruction upon Bakugan! But if you encounter the Shifter known as Atom, defeat him, destroy Leonidas, I don't care. But leave him alive. Do you understand your orders?"

"Yes master." Said Spectra as he grabbed the Viper Helios. "I will not fail." The being cackled.

"An eager one, I see. You are not dispatched yet. I still need to destroy a few more Realities in order to be able to destroy the Bakugan Reality. And I still have several I need to attempt to defeat. Stay vigilant, you begin your training tomorrow."

"Training?"

"Why yes. Training to be able to fully unlock the abilities of the Forbidden Cards I have given you. You need to be able to utilize the powers found across all Realities I plan to destroy in order to be able to defeat them. This is the first one. Now go, rest up. You'll need it."

"Yes sire." Spectra left the room and the being turned to Helios.

"I know you're awake." Helios remained motionless. "You have a tortured past, but it's one you asked for. I will make sure your misery continues to grow. Now, be gone!" The tube Helios was in vanished, and was sent out into the Realities. As Helios looked back at where he had came from, he saw the shape of an Infinity sign.

"I have to save Keith." He thought. "I cannot fail to save him, otherwise the others are as good as dead!" A strange force then acted upon his prison, and he was flung away. "I will not fail you Keith! I swear upon my life!" He lost sight of the Infinity sign as he thought one last thing. "If only I could call out to the others." He went through a black gate and it closed behind him. However, his last thought created a ripple effect. It began to grow in power as it raced across the vast expanse, but it went out with a goal in mind. It went to find Pyreon.

* * *

 _The craziness continues even now. Since we got Chaos back, we still haven't been able to decipher anything else pertaining to what we know as The Destruction. However, when Pyreon gets a signal from a lost friend, it's up to us to find him and return him home. Unfortunately for us, the Shifters fall under their weakness: deep sleep. With them out of commission, we can't do anything until they wake up. That's when the Tamers decide to go on a little field trip to Bakugan Interspace. There, they need our help more than ever against a foe long thought defeated. Hopefully they can pull through!_


	5. Digital Dilemma

**I was bored, so I posted another chapter of this. I'm certain nobody will mind! Anyways, still looking for another shifter. Drop any ideas you want to share. Enjoy!**

Smooth relations are not in our nature, but it's going well so far. I really so think there's a chance we can save all these Realities. But, I may be getting ahead of myself. So much is at stake here that I don't want to jinx it. I need to hope, no, I need to believe that we will persevere.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

"So how do we go about finding Keith?" Asked Mira.

"I don't know." Said Atom.

"Our first priority isn't him." Said Rika. The brawlers looked at her. "Who is she and who is Keith?"

"Yeah, why do we have to go after someone who we don't even know?" Asked Kazu

"Because it's the right thing to do!" Proposed Guardromon. Kazu looked at him. "Okay, I can see that you don't like that idea."

"Besides, if we don't know who he is, then how can we know if we find him?" Asked Kenta. Atom relented to his argument.

"Fine." He said. "I'll tell you about who he is."

* * *

Spectra was preparing for battle against a Negative Shifter. "Bakugan, Brawl!" He said. "Bakugan, Stand! Go Helios!" The Helios he had roared.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said the Negative Shifter. "Bakugan, Stand! Rise Haos Leonidas!" As Clate had touched Leo and copied him, the Destruction was capable of creating a copy.

"Ability Activate!" Said Spectra. "General Quasar!" The Helios fired a large fireball at the Leonidas.

"Ability Activate! Mythical Shield!" The fireball was deflected quickly back at Helios. It blasted him backwards quite a bit. "Ability Activate! Blinding Rush!"

"Ability Activate!" Countered Spectra. "Nova Defensor!" The Leonidas tried to strike Helios, but was unable to. It was forced back and hissed. "Ability Activate! Nova Blazer X!" He threw the card and it wrapped itself around the Helios. Its body bulked up and grew slightly larger. It placed the Helios at a slight lead, but not enough to dissuade the Negative Shifter.

"Ability Activate! Light Tornado! The Leonidas whipped up a tornado of light and fired it at the Helios. Its body bulked up a bit more in preparation for the attack.

"Ability Activate!" Said Spectra. "Absorption X" The attack hit the chains and was absorbed into Helios. Its body bulked up more and grew larger. It roared powerfully as its veins became more apparent.

"Ability Activate!" Yelled the Negative Shifter. "Infinity Strike!" The Leonidas's hand began to glow and it rushed at the Helios. The Helios took the blow and it was absorbed again. The Helios began growing larger and stronger.

"Ability Activate!" Said Spectra. "Tecton X!" The Helios bulked up even more and blasted a huge plume of fire at the Leonidas, defeating it instantly and blasting the Negative Shifter backwards. The Helios roared, glowed, and returned to Spectra. The being came in.

"You're progressing well." It said. "Any luck on evolution yet?"

"Not yet, sire. I believe I am getting close, however."

"Good. With any luck, he'll remain organic and his power will be far greater."

"If I may ask, sire, why am I here?" The being gestured for Spectra to follow him.

"The reason why is because I'm assembling a team." Said the being. "And you, Spectra, are the first I've recruited for it."

"It's a great honor, sire."

"I'm certain it is. And your purpose is to assist me in whatever way I need to destroy all Realities!"

"As you command."

* * *

"And that's about it." Said Atom. "Any questions?" Takato raised his hand.

"How the heck did he know about what would happen on the day you and Dan got Leo and Drago back?"

"That was my fault." Said Azion. "But I left him right after the battle."

"Why does this Shifter business have to be so confusing?" Asked Kenta. "I mean, just a few days ago we were regular kids. Maybe a little above, but still regular. And now, all this."

"I know how you feel." Said Julie. "Let's just say we haven't been Shifters any longer than you have."

"And it still hasn't gotten any easier even after all these years." Said Azion. "I still remember when I thought I was still home when I was dozens of Realities away."

"Try hundreds." Said Chaos. "But yes, we've all been in that boat or are in the boat." Pyreon felt like something was off, but couldn't quite place it.

"Anyways, any other questions about Keith?" Asked Atom.

"None that I know of." Said Rika. "But who is she?"

"My name is Mira." Said Mira. "And Keith is my brother. Not sure how much more you'll need, but that's all you need to know for now."

"Noted." Said Rika.

"Now, how are we going to find Keith?" Asked Runo. "From what I remember, he isn't anywhere on any known planets here."

"I'm not sure." Said Atom. Marucho readjusted his glasses.

"Leave it to me! I think I know a way! All we need to do is get back to Earth."

"I can handle that." Said Azion. Then he remembered something. "Oh wait, I forgot, Mira isn't a Shifter."

"That's alright." Said Mira. "I'll go over to Klaus's and have him transport me there. You all go on ahead."

"Okay, we'll see you at Marucho's house." Said Dan. Azion created a gate and everybody who could went into it. It closed as Mira watched.

"I wonder what it takes to become a Shifter." She ran out of the building and towards Klaus's residence.

* * *

Spectra sat down, waiting. The being had to attend to other duties and he was to not wander. So he just sat there. However, Keith was not going silently. "Let me out of here!" He yelled within his mind.

"And why should I?" Asked Spectra. He appeared in front of Keith. "Our new Master has given us all the power we need, and has given us a chance to return to who we need to be! Why would you want to return to being Keith when you could spend time under him?"

"Because that's not my destiny!" Yelled Keith. He struggled against the mental chains, but was unable to break free.

"Struggle all you want, you're not going anywhere. The mask and cloak prevent it!"

"And what does that make you, huh?" Asked Keith. "You're a prisoner as much as I am!"

"Except I get to do what I want, as long as it falls under what my master wishes. How is that a prison? As long as I make his dreams closer, I have free reign on how I proceed."

"You're a fool!" Said Keith. "I learned that being controlled isn't good and that I need to forge my own path! How is this different from what I was freed from?"

"Because, I am in control and you are not." Footsteps were heard. "Master is returning. Now, play nice and leave me alone." The image of Spectra left Keith's vision and he slumped back into his chains.

"I guess I can't defeat him, not this time." Said Keith. He sighed. "I have to hope that Dan and the others can free me of my evil again." The surroundings turned a bit darker. "Preferably before it completely takes over again."

* * *

"We're here!" Said Azion. The gate deposited us back in the computer room in Marucho's house. "Now, let's get to work. What was your idea, Marucho?"

"I was thinking that we could use the device I was working on to find him." Said Marucho. "It was designed to see outside this Reality, and now that I've see what's out there, I think we can get it to work!"

"But you'll never be able to see outside of it." Said Dragonomon. "Someone needs to create a hole in the Tachyon field that surrounds the Reality and then allow the device to detect FTL emissions."

"Uh, were you speaking English?" Asked Takato.

"I was wondering the same thing." Said Dan. Rika, Marucho and Atom sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder why we never taught these guys anything." Said Rika. "Anybody who knows anything about theoreticals knows about Tachyons."

"What are theoreticals?" Asked Julie. "That sounds like plays and musicals!" Marucho groaned.

"Okay, not the time." Said Atom. "Dragonomon, can you open a hole?"

"I can try, but I've never tried it from within a Reality."

"Maybe this will help." Said Azion. He grabbed one of his cards. "Digimodify!" He swiped an energy card.

"Okay, I think I can work with this!" Said Dragonomon. His hands began to glow. "Marucho, make any modifications you need to."

"On it." Said Marucho. He went to a computer and began typing in lines upon lines of code that the rest couldn't possibly hope to understand. When he was done, he turned. "All done. It's ready to go whenever!"

"Okay." Said Dragonomon. "Leo, if you could, do you think you could channel some FTL time energy?"

"I can try." Said Leo. He began to glow.

"Okay, now for the final step." Dragonomon's hands glowed brighter, and then the computer started spitting data.

"We're getting something!" Said Marucho. He began typing again, and then the data turned into an image. "Okay, got it!" He put it to the main screen. On it, we were able to see the Realities.

"It worked." Said Azion. "Incredible."

"I'll say." Said Chaos.

"Okay, that's seriously cool!" Said Runo. Pyreon felt something even more off.

"Why does something feel off?" He wondered. The image began to fade.

"What's happening to it?" Asked Teressmon.

"Sorry guys, my energy dropped." Said Dragonomon. His hands stopped glowing and the image vanished. Pyreon heard something just before the link was severed.

"If only I could call out to the others." Pyreon jumped a little. Azion looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought I heard Helios." Replied Pyreon. That got the attention of everybody.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense." Said Julie. "Tell us what you heard!"

"It was only nine words." Said Pyreon. "It sounded like 'if only I could call out to the others.'" Shun's eyes widened.

"That sounds like a distress call." He said.

"A distress call?" Asked Dan. "But that would mean that"

"Keith's in trouble!" Said Mira. Kato had seen her in.

"Forgive the intrusion, but"

"Don't worry Kato." Said Marucho. "We were expecting her."

"Very well sir. Call me if you need me." Kato left the room. Mira's gaze shifted from one to another, wanting answers.

"So, who got the distress call?" She asked.

"Actually, it was Pyreon." Said Azion. "He heard Helios's voice, or more rather, his thoughts."

"How do we follow it?" Asked Mira.

"I'm not sure." Said Azion. "After all, Pyreon was only able to hear it for a split second."

"Maybe I can help again." Said Dragonomon. "If we just leave this Reality, we may be able to track it using Pyreon."

"Me?" Asked Pyreon.

"Yes, you." Said Dragonomon. "After all, you're the only one who heard him."

"Let's go!" Said Dan. All of the Brawlers made sure to have contact with Atom while the Tamers had contact with Azion. Chaos got all of the Bakugan and Digimon.

"You know, I'm surprised we haven't had to recover after all of the Shifting we've done." Said Atom. Just as he was about to Shift, murphy struck. He felt an extreme weariness and fatigue and then just fell over. Then Azion did. The only one who didn't collapse was Chaos, but he fell to his knees.

"You just had to jinx it, didn't you?" He asked. Atom didn't respond as he was out cold. Chaos then fell over and fell asleep. Everybody else looked on in shock.

"Okay then." Said Dan. "I guess we can wait a day."

"We can, but I'm not sure if Keith can." Said Mira.

* * *

"Spectra, I have need of you." Said the being. Spectra stood quickly and bowed slightly.

"What do you request of me?"

"I need you to follow this signal." Said the being. "It is the next Reality on the list to destroy." The being handed Spectra a special square, and it showed a very specific Reality. It showed a red and white ball. "This is your first mission. If you fail, the consequences will not be too dire because of your inexperience. However, if you manage to succeed, you will be greatly rewarded." Spectra smiled.

"Consider it done."

"Oh yeah, and one more wrinkle." Said the being. Spectra looked at him. "You will probably run into some interference near the Reality, so make sure to stand your guard."

"Understood."

* * *

Atom, Azion and Chaos were all in beds, and the rest were sitting in the computer room. "What are we supposed to do now?" Asked Dan.

"I'm not sure." Said Marucho. "Without them, I don't know if we can exit the Reality."

"We have to try, though." Said Julie. "We can't just leave Helios out there, all alone!"

"Well, what choice do we have?" Asked Runo. "The only way we had out of this Reality was with Atom, or Azion, or even Chaos. But with them out of commission for the foreseeable future, what can we do?"

"Perhaps we need to think of this differently." Said Alice. "So far, we've placed everything on us getting outside the Reality, right?" The brawlers nodded. "Well, what if we could work from the inside?"

"What are you suggesting?" Asked Marucho.

"I'm not sure." Said Alice. "It's just an idea." The tamers watched from a little ways away.

"Any idea what they're talking about?" Asked Takato.

"Not a clue." Said Henry. "However, there is still the question about how long we're going to be here."

"What if we try leaving?" Asked Suzie. "It can't be that hard, right Big Brother?"

"I'm not sure." Said Henry. "We don't know how to."

"There has to be something we can do." Said Rika. She began pondering.

"What if we help them figure this out?" Asked Kazu.

"I like that idea." Said Kenta. "But how?"

"We don't know anything about Bakugan." That caused something to click in Rika's head.

"We might not know anything about Bakugan, but we do know Digimon. What if we could enter the Digital World from here?"

"Are you serious?" Asked Takato. "How would we even do that?"

"Well, remember when Azion opened that gate?" Asked Rika. The tamers nodded. "Well, what if we could do the same, except to the Digital World?"

"I suppose it could work." Said Henry. "But it's dangerous."

"Sometimes danger is fun!" Said Terriermon. Renas and Teressmon floated over.

"What are you guys talking about?" Asked Renas.

"Why are you wondering?" Asked Rika.

"It's simple." Said Teressmon. "We were getting bored of their conversation."

"Why are you guys looking at me?" Asked Marucho. "I don't know!"

"Point taken." Said Rika. "Anyways, we were contemplating trying to go to the Digital World here."

"Digital World?" Asked Renas. "What's that?"

"It's kinda difficult to explain." Said Takato. "So we can't really tell you in the amount of time we have."

"Well, are we going or not?" Asked Kazu.

"I say we should try." Said Kenta.

"Yeah!" Said MarineAngemon.

"Let's do this!" Said Guardromon.

"Okay, let's give it a shot." Said Takato. He began focusing, putting everything he knew about the DigiPorts into it, and only opened his eyes when he heard Rika gasp. "It worked?" He looked at the DigiPort. "Yes! It worked!"

"Everybody who's going, let's go." Said Rika. She and Renamon were the first to go into it. They were followed by Takato and Guilmon, then by Henry, Terriermon, Suzie and Lopmon. Bringing up the back was Kazu, Kenta and Ryo with their Digimon. Marucho then proposed something.

"What if we ask the Tamers for help?" He asked. The entire group turned to where they were, only to find nothing. "Uh, where'd they go?"

"To the Digital World." Said Dragonomon. Marucho turned to him.

"Wait, what?"

* * *

"There's no turning back now!" Said Takato. "Digital World or bust!"

"Let's just hope for the best." Said Ryo. In front of them, a bright light flashed. When they were able to see again, they were on a white walkway, surrounded by buildings. However, everything was in decay.

"Where are we?" Asked Kenta.

"I'm not sure." Said Kazu.

"This doesn't look like the Digital World, Takato." Said Guilmon.

"So, any ideas what this place is?" Asked Henry.

* * *

The computer began beeping and Marucho looked at it. He gasped in surprise and ran over to it. "What's up Marucho?" Asked Dan as he walked over. He looked at the same thing Marucho was. "Whoa!"

"What's wrong?" Asked Shun.

"Apparently, Bakugan Interspace wasn't destroyed." Said Marucho. "Because they're in it!"

"Hold on, are you saying that"

"Yes, they opened a gate into Interspace when trying to get to the Digital World!" Said Marucho. He began typing. "Let's just hope they can last there for a while."

* * *

Takato was looking everywhere, trying to figure out what was going on. The Guilmon noticed something. He raced over to something that looked like it used to be a bakery. "Bread!" Called Guilmon.

"Guilmon, wait up!" Said Takato as he raced after Guilmon.

"This place is strange." Said Renamon. "I've never seen a layer of the Digital World like this."

"Probably because there wasn't one." Said Rika. Kazu looked at a destroyed fountain, still spitting a little water.

"I don't know about you guys, but I don't think this is a regular Digital World."

"I think that's an understatement." Said Guardromon. Suzie looked up.

"Look at the pretty lights!" Up above, the grid of Interspace was flickering, several squares either missing or changing colors.

"Where are we?" Asked Henry. Terriermon landed on his head.

"It sure isn't a Digital World, as far as I can tell." He said. "There's nothing here. No data, no Digimon, nothing. The only thing I can see is ruins."

"You're right." Said Kenta. "There's nothing here, except us." A loud screech sounded.

"You just had to jinx it, didn't you?" Asked Rika. Up above, an Iron Dragonoid appeared.

"That looks like a Bakugan." Said Kazu. A screen appeared next to him.

"Are you guys okay?" Asked Marucho. Kazu nearly jumped high enough to be seen by the Iron Dragonoid. Rika walked over to the screen.

"Yeah, we're fine." Said Rika. "But where are we?"

"You guys are in the remains of Bakugan Interspace. It was a place that I was able to develop with help from my dad's company and from Atom and Tom. It was supposed to be a place where anybody could battle, but it fell when it was being used to resurrect one of our enemies."

"Okay, that makes sense." Said Rika. "But there's still another question."

"Yeah, what is it?" Asked Marucho.

"What is that thing up there?" Marucho's screen turned, and he saw the Iron Dragonoid.

"That's a Chaos Bakugan! I thought they were all destroyed when Interspace was deleted, but I guess they survived just as Interspace did."

"So it is a Bakugan." Said Renamon. She looked at it again. "I don't like the look of it."

"You guys need to get out of there!" Said Marucho. "Without Bakugan, you guys won't be able to combat it!" The Iron Dragonoid shrieked again, and several more rose up. They closed in on the Tamers location.

"Too late!" Said Henry. Several Iron Dragonoids fired at their location. The Digimon tried to block he attacks, but had no effect. They were slammed back to the ground. Takato walked out of the destroyed bakery with Guilmon.

"What was that noise?" He asked. Then he saw the Chaos Bakugan attacking. "Okay. That makes sense, I guess. Let's go!" Said Takato.

"Right behind you!" Said Guilmon. The two charged in.

* * *

"Oh no, this is bad!" Said Marucho.

"What's wrong Marucho?" Asked Shun.

"The Chaos Bakugan weren't destroyed when we deleted Interspace!"

"But that's impossible!" Said Drago. "They should've been deleted with Interspace!"

"Well, if Interspace wasn't fully deleted, then isn't it possible?" Asked Dan. Marucho set to work quickly.

"I need to work fast." He said. He talked to Dan without breaking his focus. "Can you go grab one of Azion's cards?"

"Yeah, but I don't see what an Ability card will do here."

"I'm not going for an ability card, Dan. I need one of his other cards!"

"I think I know what you're doing." Said Dragonomon. He rushed off.

"What's the plan, Marucho?" Asked Preyas.

"If we can create a special card for them, we may just be able to allow them to fight off the Chaos Bakugan. I can only hope it works." More and more code popped up on the screen as Marucho continued to work.

* * *

"Our attacks are useless, Takato!" Called Henry. "Digimon can't fight Bakugan!"

"That doesn't change the fact they we're going to try!" Replied Takato. He grabbed a card. "Digimodify! Hyper Wing Activate!" Guilmon got his wings and flew up, only to be whipped by a tail. He crashed into the destroyed bakery. "No!"

* * *

"Okay, I got one." Said Dragonomon. He placed it next to Marucho.

"Perfect. Now all I need to do is figure out how the cards work." He set up a scanner to scan the card and relayed the information to his computer. Code began to appear next to the one he was writing, and Marucho started making the needed adjustments.

* * *

"Guilmon, get up! Please!" Said Takato. He was shaking Guilmon as the Iron Dragonoids drew closer. "No, it can't be like this!" Marucho appeared on a screen next to him.

"Be ready!" He said.

"Be ready for what?" Asked Takato. The screen glowed very brightly and Takato shielded his eyes. When he could see again, there was a card hovering in front of him.

"Hurry!" Said Marucho. "You don't have" he couldn't finish as an Iron Dragonoid smashed the screen. Takato looked at it.

"This is bad!" Rika and Renamon got back up and looked over. Henry and Suzie got up next.

"What's happening?" Asked Henry. Suzie got a look of what was happening.

"Oh no!" She cried. "Big Brother, those meanies are going to hurt Takato!"

"What can we do?" Asked Henry. Then a small opening showed him the card in front of Takato. Something clicked in his head. "Takato! Swipe the card!" He yelled. Takato managed to snap out of his stupor and grabbed the card. It stopped glowing, showing a Pyrus symbol in the center.

"Let's hope this works!" Said Takato. He swiped the card in his Digivice, and it began glowing brightly. Something shot out of the screen and landed on his wrist. It was a Bakumeter. He gasped. "Wait, isn't this" He couldn't finish as the lead Iron Dragonoid readied its attack. It swiped its tail down at Takato braced for impact, but it never came. When he looked up again, he saw Guilmon holding the tail back. "What's happening?"

"I don't know, Takato, but I'm feeling a surge of energy!" Said Guilmon. He began pushing harder on the tail, and the Iron Dragonoid roared. It pressed with more force, only for Guilmon to match it. Then the strangest thing happened. Guilmon grew in size, and then matched the Iron Dragonoids.

"What's going on?" Asked Henry. A screen popped up again.

"Yes, it worked!" Said Marucho. Henry looked at him.

"What worked?"

"The card I gave Takato was designed to make Guilmon into a Bakugan so that he could combat the Chaos Bakugan!"

"So you mean to tell me that"

"Yes. Guilmon is now a Bakugan!" Guilmon spun the Iron Dragonoid around by its tail, then released to send it flying away.

"This is fun!" He said. He then got attacked by another Iron Dragonoid, but with less effect than the other Digimon. Guilmon took the attack, then unleashed his own.

"I don't know what's going on." Said Takato. "But I like it! Let's go Guilmon!"

"Ready when you are!" Takato was ready to swipe a card, but found that his D-Power was missing.

"Huh? Where'd it go?" His Bakumeter beeped, then glowed. A swipe point appeared on it as its coloring changed to be more like his D-Power. "This is unreal!" A new card floated in front of him and he grabbed it. "Ready Guilmon?"

"Just give the word!" Takato swiped the card.

"Bakumodify!" He yelled. He had no idea why he yelled it, but he did. "Pyro Blaster!" Guilmon readied his attack and blasted at the rest of the Chaos Bakugan. They glowed, destroyed. Guilmon stopped firing.

"That was fun!" He said again. Then he began to glow and shrank down to his normal size. Takato's hand flashed the attribute wheel for a second, but it faded so he didn't notice. Guilmon ran up to him. "We did it!" The others ran up.

"What was that?" Asked Rika.

"I don't know." Replied Takato honestly. "But whatever it was, it gave us the advantage."

"I'll say." Said Henry. "But how did it happen?"

"That would be me." Said Marucho. The entire group looked at the screen he was on. "By analyzing the power of one of Azion's cards, I was able to program a new one for Takato. I call it Pyrus Enhancement."

"Pyrus Enhancement?" Asked Takato. He shrugged. "Whatever it was, it was useful. Thanks!"

"No problem!" Said Marucho. "But you guys might want to get back before the Chaos Bakugan come after you again."

"Okay, but we don't really know how we got here." Said Rika. "A DigiPort just appeared."

"Leave that to me." Said someone. Everybody looked at the source to see Atom.

"You're awake?" Asked Marucho.

"Yep, I am." Said Atom. His hand glowed, and a gate appeared next to him. A DigiPort appeared next to the Tamers. "Hurry everybody, it won't stay open forever!" The Tamers quickly rushed into it and it vanished just as Kenta got through with MarineAngemon. Before they even realized they were in a transport, they were back in the computer room. "Everybody in one piece?"

"We're good." Said Takato.

"Everything's A-Ok here." Said Ryo.

"That was quite possibly the weirdest thing I have ever seen." Said Rika.

"Tell me about it." Said Henry. He looked at Marucho. "So, how exactly did you make that card?" He walked over as Marucho began explaining.

"So, while they talk tech, we need to talk about what just happened." Said Ryo. "Where were we and why were we there?"

"The answer is quite simple. You were in Bakugan Interspace, a forgotten relic thought to be destroyed about a year ago. It was being used to siphon energy to resurrect an old enemy of ours and Chaos." Explained Atom. "Before you ask, let's just say Chaos wasn't quite himself back then."

"So why were we there?" Asked Rika.

"It's our Digital World." Said Atom. "But instead of it being a place for intelligent life to grow, it was a place for us to battle without worry." Henry and Marucho finished talking.

"I think we have a plan." Said Henry. Marucho nodded, then began typing again.

"What plan have you guys concocted?" Asked Rika.

"Nothing much." Said Henry. "Just a way for the rest of us to get the same ability as Takato."

"So you mean"

"Yes Kenta, all of our Digimon will be able to become Bakugan." Said Henry. "And guess what, when they change into Bakugan, they'll be different Attributes."

"What do you mean by Attributes?" Asked Rika. "As far as I know, there are only Data, Virus and Vaccine types."

"With Bakugan, there are actually six." Said Henry. "Guilmon is considered Pyrus, for example." Dan walked over.

"Are you guys done?" He asked. "Marucho is ready to analyze your partners to create the cards."

* * *

Spectra exited a red hole to find a very specific Reality in front of him. He checked his data tablet, and confirmed it as the Reality he needed to go to. "I will not fail you, my master." Within Spectra's mind, Keith was still struggling.

"I have to break free. I cannot let my evil take me over again!" The surroundings were turning darker and darker as his evil began to take root again. "I just can't!" A short distance away, Helios watched him.

"Fight it, Keith. Fight it!" He tried to say, but because of being between Realities was unable to make it more than thought. "You need to fight him!"

* * *

 _As if it wasn't bad enough that Keith was gone, Pyreon got a distress message from Helios. Now, we're faced with someone we thought was gone. Somehow he was brought back, and is now one of the Destruction's minions! Worse than that, he was given a Negative gene, so he's copying our partners to give himself the advantage! It's a good thing we have a few surprises of our own. However, even with all of us working together, we can't stop the Destruction from destroying this Reality! We need help from another friend, and I think I know which one. Hopefully this works out._


	6. Special Type Savior

**Okay, so I ran out of time for Reality Shift - Mechtanium Surge today, so I decided to upload Destruction today instead. It does replace tomorrow's chapter. There will be a regular chapter tomorrow. Also, how many of you can guess the next Reality? Enjoy!**

With Keith missing, it fell to us to help everybody break the bonds of their Reality to save Helios. However, before we could go anywhere, our fatal flaw kicked in and we fell unconscious. With the three of us out of commission, Takato and the other tamers decided to try and get to the Digital World to figure out how to help. What they found were the remains of Bakugan Interspace and Chaos Bakugan. However, because of Marucho's quick work, Takato and Guilmon were able to combat them and unlock a new ability. But even with all of that, we got no closer to figuring anything out, the Destruction, Keith's location, nothing. We're running dry here.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Spectra watched the Reality twist and turn on its regular path, waiting for a perfect opportunity. Within, Keith was fighting as hard as he could. "You cannot hold me forever!" He yelled. The restraints holding him were brought tighter around him. He could hear an evil laugh.

"That's where you're wrong, Keith Clay." Spectra appeared in front of him again. "You have not been able to resist at all yet, so I see no reason why you could now." Spectra chuckled. "But go ahead, show me what you can really do." Keith struggled against his restraints, but to no avail. "You see? That's why you will never win against me, against your evil! In all honesty, you should be glad Master picked us instead of another. After all, where's the fun in restraining yourself to not go above and beyond? What's the point of holding back! All there is now is power, and I intend to claim as much as I need to uphold our Master's agenda!"

"You're a fool!" Said Keith. "As much as I loved power, it was nothing compared to what I learned! In order to have power, you must have control, otherwise you run the risk of losing it. That's a truth I learned the hard way and that's why I laid you to rest!"

"And it was that thinking, that want to be with others, that drained your power, Keith." Said Spectra. "Now, we are free! Free to become as powerful as we want!"

"But power isn't everything." Spectra glared at Keith.

"If it isn't everything, then why am I in control? It's because I have more power than you. You gave up your power to be with others. You gave up your power, leaving me an opening. And you claim that power isn't everything?" Spectra began laughing, and it began to build. "Now who's the fool? You claim to not want power, but you claim it needed. You gave up power for control! Now look at you. Broken, defeated, and forced into this situation. You will wait, Keith. You will wait until I am done." Spectra vanished as Keith again tried to break free of his shackles.

"That's where you're wrong." Said Keith. One of the restraints loosened. "I will not wait!"

* * *

"So, how does this work?" Asked Henry. Terriermon was being scanned.

"Simple, really. It just samples the DNA and analyzes it, then compares it to the rest to get a good compilation of it." Said Marucho.

"Makes sense." Said Henry. "Then how do you put it into the card?"

"That's the easy part." Said Marucho. "All I need to do is put the DNA into the correct spots within the code I've written and it creates a custom card." The computer beeped. "Speaking of which." Marucho typed a few keys, and something began to form nearby. When it was done, Marucho opened the door of the machine and grabbed the card. "Looks like Terriermon is similar to a Ventus Bakugan."

"So, if Pyrus is fire, is Ventus wind?" Asked Henry.

"Exactly." Said Marucho. A few paces away, the rest of us were waiting behind a wall.

"Anybody have any ideas what's going on in there?" Asked Rika.

"They're probably going over all the technobabble involved in this." Said Kenta. "Not something I need or want to know."

"I think most of us can agree to that." Said Takato. "But it does take a while."

"At least it gives the others more time to recuperate." Said Atom.

"Speaking of which, how did you wake up so quickly?" Asked Dan.

"I've been Shifting the longest out of anybody here." Said Atom. "Over time, I've built up a better resistance to the effects. They still get me, but a lot less powerfully."

"Makes sense." Said Dan. "But how will it affect us?"

"Not sure." Said Atom. "After all, none of you have actually been able to shift." The door opened.

"Okay, Henry and Terriermon are done." Said Marucho. "Who's next?"

"I'll go." Said Rika. "Might as well see why it takes so long." She got up and went into the room. Renamon followed her.

"So, how'd it go?" Asked Takato.

"I'm impressed at how much technology has developed differently in this Reality." Said Henry. "It's almost a dream." Atom laughed.

"Believe me, you'll get lots of those eventually." Henry was about to retort, then thought better of it.

"You're probably right." He relented. "But I don't know of any other places where there even could be Digimon."

"I can name 4 other Realities off the top of my head." Said Atom. "But don't worry, even Azion doesn't know of them all." The door opened again.

"Okay, that was quicker than I thought." Said Rika. She held a card with the Aquos symbol on it.

"Okay, who's next?" Asked Marucho. Suzie jumped up and down excitedly.

"Me next! Me next!"

"Suzie, don't you think we should" Lopmon didn't get a chance to finish as Suzie grabbed her and ran into the room. Marucho looked at the rest of us in surprise.

"She does that a lot." Said Henry. "You'll get used to it." Marucho shrugged and went back into the room. Henry turned back to the group.

"Any guesses?" He asked.

"I don't know." Said Kazu. "I've never dealt with these types before."

"None of us have." Said Kenta. "But it would be amazing if we could control fire!"

"No. No!" Said MarineAngemon. "Light!"

"Light?" Asked Kenta. "But you can't do anything with light!" He caught Atom glaring at him, then looked the other way to see Runo glaring at him. "Uh." He feigned zipped his mouth closed and throwing away the key. Atom chuckled.

"Relax, Kenta." He said. "I know you. You're someone who likes to fight with brute force after careful deliberation on how to use that force."

"Sort of." The door opened again.

"Suzie and Lopmon are Darkus." Said Marucho. "Kazu, you're next." Kazu got up and went through the door, followed by Marucho. Guardromon tried to get through, but got stuck.

"A little assistance please?"

"Just stay there, you're close enough for the scanner to work." Said Marucho. Lots of beeping could be heard as he booted up the machine.

"I bet ya that Kazu's going to be Subterra." Said Kenta. "He does carry most of the traits I've seen in Julie."

"He does?" Asked Julie.

"Aside from the hyperactivity." The beeping got more intense in the other room.

"There's much more data with Guardromon that the others!" Said Marucho. "I'm readjusting the parameters now!"

"You better hurry!" Said Guardromon. "I'm going blind!" The beeping suddenly stopped, then a small alarm blared.

"Oh come on!" Yelled Marucho. The machine then sputtered, and managed to get a card out before the shutdown procedures activated. Marucho opened the door for black smoke to come out of it. He reached into the machine and grabbed the card. He then swiftly closed the door and turned on the ventilation. He and Kazu pushed Guardromon out of the way to get out of the room, and Marucho slammed the door closed. He and Kazu coughed a little to get the excess smoke out. "That could've gone better." He wiped off his glasses.

"I'll say!" Said Guardromon. His entire front was covered in soot.

"It's a good thing I was able to grab the card." Said Marucho. He looked at it, only for it to disintegrate in his hands. "Oh great."

"That doesn't sound good." Said Dan. "What happened?"

"The system overloaded." Stated Marucho. "It's going to need to reboot and restart. Not to mention cool down."

"Well, it could be worse." Said Atom. "After all, four of them did get done, right?"

"We got Takato, Henry, Rika and Suzie all ready to go with their new cards." Said Marucho. "But as for the other three, we're just going to have to wait."

* * *

"Sir, we just detected something near Reality 5569875."

"What is it this time? More strange masses?"

"Not this time, sir." The tech put the image on screen. In the top left corner, the image of a red and white ball flashed. In the center, however, was a red being. The Commander took a closer look at it and realized it looked humanoid.

"What is that thing?" He asked.

"I'm running a scan on it now, sir." Said Syark. He pressed several buttons and looked over the data. "Looks like it's one Keith Clay."

"Keith Clay?" Asked the Commander. "Who's he?"

"Keith Clay is a Vestal from Bakugan." Said Claip.

"You always seem to come at the right time." Said the Commander.

"Of course sir, call it a gift. Anyways, Keith used to be an evil entity, but when he was converted by the Brawlers he changed his ways. However, he was never able to completely get rid of his evil and has simply pushed it down further and further to stop it from rising."

"So how is he out there and why?"

"Sir, DNA scans show a Realital Gene of unknown typing!" Said Syark.

"Unknown typing?" Asked the Commander. "Designate a type for it now! We need to know what it is we're dealing with!"

"Sir, that's the problem."

"What?"

"The typing isn't just giving a negative reading for a known type, the computer is saying it just doesn't exist!"

"A gene that doesn't exist?" Asked the Commander. He began to think. "Hold on. Do we have any data on the Shifters that attacked the other Realities?"

"Pulling it up now, sir." The data began pouring onto the screen, and the Commander couldn't keep up. "Gene matches that which has been detected in the Negative Shifters."

"Does that mean" started Claip.

"Yes." Said the Commander. "Keith has been taken over by the Destruction." He turned back to Syark. "Get as much data on Keith as you can!"

"Sir yes sir!"

"What is he doing out here?" Wondered the Commander.

"Another part of the text has been translated! The word is Pokémon."

* * *

Tom sat down, holding something that looked like a Pokeball. "I really hope the new episode recorded correctly." He turned on the TV, only for the news to be blaring.

"Another location has faced total annihilation! Still no leads as to what is happening, except that another kid went missing." The TV showed what used to be a fair, completely decimated. Then it showed the destroyed park and the evaporated lake. It then showed the images of Atom, Azion and Chaos above them.

"Hold on, they're the missing kids?!" The news continued on, and Tom thought, unmoving on the seat. He didn't even want to watch the new episode of Pokémon now, he was too worried about his friends. "Where could they have gone?"

"Tom." Tom began to look around a little. "Tom."

"What's that? Who's there?"

"Tom, we have need of your move set."

"My move set?"

"You must return to help your friends!" A bright glow appeared in front of him, and a blue Pokeball came out of it. The glow stopped, allowing Tom to look at it.

"What?" He picked up the Pokeball. "Is this a Pokeball? Where did it come from?" It then began vibrating with vigor and Tom dropped it. It opened on the ground and created a type of portal in front of him. "Whoa! What is this thing?" He tried to pick it up, only for the portal to suck him in. The Pokeball got sucked up too, and Tom was able to catch it. He was pulled into the portal and it closed, sending him on his way without a trace.

* * *

"So, what now?" Asked Rika.

"I say we go after Helios." Everybody turned to see Azion in the doorway. "If anything, we're going to need him."

"That makes sense." Said Henry. "But where could he be?"

"I don't care how long it takes." Said Azion. "We are going to find Helios!" Nobody knew they were being watched.

"So, they're planning on going after Helios, eh?" Wondered the being. "That makes my plan even easier! Helios is Realities away from Spectra! This is perfect!" He cackled, and resumed watching.

"We have to help him!" Said Azion. "He's our best shot of finding Keith!"

"As much as I want to find my brother, and as much as I want to bring Helios home safely, I don't think we can attempt a rescue." Said Mira.

"Are you serious?" Asked Marucho. "I would've thought you of all people would've wanted to go find them!" Pyreon got another message.

"I need help! I can't get to him!"

"I just got another message!" Said Pyreon. Everybody looked at him. "Look, I don't know about you guys, but we need to save Helios. I can't tell why, and I don't know how, but I just feel like we need to save him!"

"That's enough for me." Said Atom. "Let's go!"

"But what about Chaos?" Asked Runo. "He's still out cold."

"Not quite." Said Chaos. He walked into the room. "Now, are we going or not?"

* * *

"We've detected another anomaly!"

"Let me guess, it's someone appearing next to the Pokémon Reality?"

"Yes sir."

"Should I?" Asked Claip.

"Just send the gene already. It's going to take longer to reach the Pokémon Reality."

"On it, sir." Claip left the room.

"We got another part translated!"

"And it is?"

"A six fingered hand." The Commander sighed.

"Why do these clues have to be so cryptic?"

* * *

"Where am I?" Asked Tom, reorienting himself. He looked across the vast expanse, realizing he was outside of Reality. "Between Realities? But I thought I couldn't get out here anymore!" He looked at the Pokeball. "And why do I have this?" He tried to toss it away, but it just returned to him, by hitting his head and landing in his hand. He gave out a small yelp of pain, one that Spectra heard.

"Who's there?" He demanded.

"Tom." Said Tom. "And you?"

"The mighty Spectra!"

* * *

"Sir, the Brawlers, Tamers and Shifters have left the Bakugan Reality. Should I send them"

"Yes." Said the Commander. "Just send them to Pokémon."

* * *

"Okay guys, we're on our way." Said Azion. "Let's get going!" He accelerated further than the rest of the group, only to run into a hole and vanish inside of it.

"Let's go!" Yelled Dan. Everybody piled into the hole, and it closed behind them.

* * *

"Spectra?" Asked Tom. "How did you get out here?"

"That's for me to know." Said Spectra. "And you to never learn." Tom heard something in his voice.

"Hold on, that's not the voice I remember. Who are you?"

"I told you, I'm Spectra. No one else."

"If you're Spectra, then where's Keith?" Asked Tom. Spectra laughed.

"Oh, he's locked away. I'm in control now!"

"You're in control?" Asked Tom. "But you two were the same person."

"No, we were different forms of the same person. I am the true one!" Nearby, another hole appeared. Azion fell out of it first, followed by everyone else. Azion began looking around.

"Every time we've been transported like this, we've helped one of our friends." He said. "Any idea which Reality this is?"

"I don't know." Said Chaos. "I don't think we've ever been here before."

"You're the true one?" Asked Tom. The entire group could hear him. "That's impossible! Keith was the one who put on the mask and the one who gave it up."

"It's Tom!" Said Atom.

"Are you sure about that?" Asked Spectra.

"And that sounds like Spectra." Said Dan. "Which means we found Keith!"

"I've been given control by my Master, The Destruction!" Yelled Spectra. "Keith is no more!"

"Or not." Said Marucho. "Let's go!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Spectra. "Bakugan, Stand! Rise Helios!" Before him rose a Pyrus Viper Helios.

"What the?" Asked Dan. "Where's Helios?" Pyreon got a message.

"Over here!" It yelled. Pyreon looked back and forth, and saw something glinting.

"I see something!" He said. He pointed it out to Azion.

"What is that?" He separated from the group.

"Where are you going?" Asked Takato.

"Who said that?" Asked Spectra. He began looking around, and saw everyone. "So, you've arrived. Just as the Master expected."

"Since when do you follow someone?" Asked Dan. "Last I checked, you never followed anyone but yourself!"

"I follow him because he gave me freedom. Freedom from Keith!" Azion approached the glinting, and found a crystal clear tube. As he got closer, however, he was able to see something within it.

"Hold on, is that" he started.

"Helios?" Finished Pyreon. The duo came closer, followed closely by Dragonomon. When they got to the container, they found Helios within. "Helios!" Helios managed to turn enough to see them.

"I didn't know my thoughts held that much power." Pyreon heard. "I can't do anything out here."

"Don't worry, we got you!" Said Pyreon. Azion grabbed the container, then headed back for the rest of the group. What he saw shocked him. Spectra had put his hand on Drago, and he was roaring in pain. Spectra threw something behind him, then rushed Tigrerra. She suffered the same pain and Spectra threw another thing behind him. The first one flashed, then transformed into another Drago. Spectra continued his dance, avoiding everyone and managed to create a copy of them all.

"Oh no!" Yelled Azion. The dark clones began to attack their counterparts, distracting them. "I have to stop him!" He grabbed Pyreon. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon!"

"Spectra, stand down!" Yelled Pyreon.

"And why should I?" Spectra rushed Pyreon, having finished with the others, and attempted to make a copy. However, Pyreon managed to dodge him. Tom watched from nearby, then looked at the Pokeball in his hand.

"I can't do anything here." He said. "My partner is distracted by the other one, and this stupid thing doesn't even do anything!" He tried to throw it away again, only for it to hit him again. A light flashed nearby. "If only I could help, but I got nothing here." Atom noticed a beam heading towards Tom.

"Tom, brace yourself!" He called. Tom looked at him a moment before the beam hit. The familiar triangle formed on his Pokeball. Then, the light abruptly stopped. Everybody but the copies and their originals looked at him.

"What was that?" Asked Spectra.

"I don't know." Said Tom. The Pokeball began vibrating in his hand again, and he dropped it. It opened up and a flash of light came out. A Palkia appeared. "Whoa!" The Palkia screeched.

"What is that monstrosity?" Asked Spectra. Keith was wondering the same thing, still buried.

"It's a Palkia." Said Atom. Leo got hit by his clone again. "Okay, that's it! Time for us to go full out!"

"I'm with you Atom! Just say the word!"

"You will not!" Said Spectra. He held up a card.

"No way!" Yelled Dan.

"Ability Activate!" He threw the card and it wrapped around all of his clones, including his Viper Helios. "Absorption X!" All of the clone Bakugan absorbed the chains, but nothing seemed to happen.

"That was useless." Said Dan. "Ability Activate! Dragon Thrasher!" Drago glowed and rapidly attacked every clone Bakugan, but to no beneficial effect. In fact, he seemed to be making them stronger.

"What?" Asked Drago. He was suddenly hit by a fireball from his clone. Spectra began laughing as he continued to chase Pyreon.

"Absorption X causes my Bakugan to get stronger the more attacks you hit them with! All the energy you would've gained is instead transferred to them twofold!"

"No way!" Yelled Marucho. "That means we can't"

"Can't win!" Said Spectra. He continued to chase Pyreon. "Exactly!" Palkia screeched.

"What can I do?" Asked Tom. He looked at the Pokeball.

"Spectra, stop!" Yelled Azion. "You have to stop!"

"No, I don't." Said Spectra. "I never have to, not unless my Master commands it!"

"You will stop!" Said Dragonomon. He got in the way of Spectra, and took the blow he was aiming at Pyreon. He was blown back.

"Dragonomon!" Yelled Azion and Pyreon.

"No!" Said Pyreon. He looked at Spectra. "That's it! I don't care if you are Keith or not!"

"Let's do it!" Said Azion. He began focusing his energy, and the Pyrus symbol on his hand glowed along with the light symbol on his D-Power.

"Not this time." Said Spectra. "I've been given the perfect way to stop all three of you from using your abilities!" Spectra threw a small device at Azion, and it hit his chest. The glowing stopped as he was shocked.

"Azion!" Yelled Atom. His light symbol began to glow, only for Spectra to throw another device at him. He was shut down in the same way. Chaos didn't even get a chance to do anything, and was instantly hit. Now that the three threats were dealt with, Spectra turned his attention back to Pyreon.

"Now, as for you. There's something special in you that I need to get."

"No!" Said Pyreon.

"You will not get the chance!" Yelled Tom. He approached Spectra quickly, who dodged out of the way. However, Spectra did not see the Palkia coming at him and was struck by it. "I finally figured out what I can do!"

"Too bad it won't work for you!" Said Spectra. He tossed another one of his devices, only for Tom to hold out the Pokeball again.

"Protect!" He yelled. Instantly, a purple shield appeared in front of him and blocked the device.

"What?" Asked Spectra.

"This thing allows me to use Pokémon moves as my own!" Proclaimed Tom. "Palkia, get him!" The Palkia began charging up an attack and Spectra noticed it early. Just as the attack was launched, the Viper Helios got in the way. Energy began compounding into it. Spectra laughed.

"You cannot win this game!" Suddenly, the energy Helios was supposedly absorbing blew past him, heading right for Spectra. "What?" He was hit, and the Helios glowed, defeated. Palkia vanished. Then, the energy keeping Atom, Azion and Chaos from doing anything abated. Atom got ready first.

"With those things out of the way, let's get to work!" Leonidas was struck by his copy.

"Do it quickly!"

"Let's do this guys!" Called Azion. His hand began to glow as his D-Power did.

"With you all the way!" Said Dragonomon.

"Let's finish this once and for all!" Said Pyreon.

"I'm game." Said Chaos. All three readied themselves.

"Let's fight back!" Said Vladitor.

"Energy Twist!" They called. "Light!" Leonidas attained his Light Form while both Pyreon and Dragonomon hit their forms. Pyreon appeared to be a Haos Bakugan, but still had aspects of Pyrus. Chaos's deck changed to a lighter shade as Vladitor gained white armor. "Ability Activate!"

"Negative's Blight!" Leo blasted a pure, white light at his copy, destroying it instantly.

"Pyrus Glow!" Yelled Azion. Pyreon destroyed Drago's clone and Slight's clone.

"Fusion Spear!" Called Dragonomon. He launched a spear and it beamed into Tigrerra's clone, then Preyas's clone, and finally Hydranoid's clone.

"Darkness Shroud!" Vladitor created a dark cloud that didn't seem to do much until it hit the dark clones, then it simply destroyed them. Chaos turned to Spectra. "Time to finish this!" He drew a card. "Evil Separate!" The card blasted a small beam at Spectra, and it pierced him deep.

"What are you doing to me?"

"I'm bringing Keith back from you!" Keith heard this from within, and renewed his struggles. The restraints began to fail as he gained a bright aura around him.

"Now do you understand why I needed friends?" He asked no one. "Now do you understand?" The restraints broke apart. "You know nothing about who to be!" Keith vanished from Spectra's mind, and found himself outside of his body.

"No!" Yelled Spectra. He looked at Chaos. "You will pay, boy!" Spectra turned and fled, straight into a hole. Keith looked to the group.

"Thanks guys. He said. "I'm not sure what would've happened if I was still stuck in there."

* * *

"Sir, it seems that Keith has split."

"What?"

"Putting it on screen now." The screen showed Spectra getting hit by the beam and then Keith appearing next to him.

"Amazing." Said the Syark. "And here I thought he had returned to his old ways."

"Sir, DNA analysis shows that Keith now has a normal gene within himself."

"Good work."

* * *

"So Keith, what happened?" Asked Dan.

"To be honest, I'm not completely sure." Said Keith. "I noticed a black smoke coming towards me and Mira, and I got her out of the way. Then it grabbed me, Helios and my old mask. Then, after that happened, I guess it grabbed my old outfit. When I woke up, I was in a strange place and there was a being over me."

"Any idea what it looked like?" Asked Atom.

"No, it stayed out of the light in order to remain shrouded in darkness. Then, it told me that it was going to release my evil that I had kept contained. He put my red cloak on, and it took over my body. Then my body put on the mask, chaining me within my own mind."

"That must've been awful!" Said Runo.

"And it was thanks to you guys that I was able to get out of there." Keith sighed. "But now, we have another problem. I don't know where Helios is. The being sent him somewhere out here and I don't know where."

"I think I have the answer." Said Azion. He held out the container.

"Wait, is that" started Julie.

"Helios!" Said Keith. He seemed ready to open it when Atom stopped him.

"Hold on a second." Atom looked at Leonidas. "Think you could help him?"

"Of course." Said Leonidas. Energy began to build up, then a beam came out and hit Helios.

"That's much better." He said. "Thanks!"

"No problem." Said Leonidas.

"Now you can open it." Said Atom. Keith tried to pry it open, but had no luck.

"Let me try this." He lifted up the container, then smashed it against his leg. Small shards went flying everywhere, and Helios was freed.

"Freedom is a blessing." Said Helios as he floated to Keith's shoulder.

"It sure is." A hole opened nearby.

"That's our ride home." Said Atom. "Let's go!"

"We're with you!" Said Ryo. The entire group followed into the hole.

* * *

 _Sure, Spectra might've lost the first encounter, but he won't be gone long. The Destruction is intent on destroying at least one Reality that we are defending, and that means we go under a siege we haven't seen before. But when it goes after an unprotected Reality, it's going to take more than general knowledge to stop it. But when things get hectic, will uncommon knowledge be able to save the day?"_


	7. Realital Knowledge

**Every two days of posting chapters I will post another chapter of Destruction. So, did any of you figure out the next Reality? If you did, great! If not, you'll learn what it is now! Enjoy!**

We've been able to reclaim several of our friends and get them back to Shifting. However, when Keith was taken and forced to be Spectra, it was up to us to get him back. If only it was that simple, though. Sure, we might be getting help from our friends and saved Keith, but it's not enough to save everything. Spectra escaped after being separated from Keith, and even now, the Destruction's power grows.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Spectra kneeled before the being in front of him. "So, you failed to destroy the Reality?"

"Unfortunately, sire. It was due to another unknown aspect in the plan." The being chuckled. "Sire?"

"Think nothing of it, Spectra. Soon, we will have assistance from a being that can anticipate what will come next and plan for it. For now, resume your training. You got many DNA sequences, so that gives us an advantage. However, the fact that Helios is unable to battle anything but Bakugan is an obstacle we must overcome."

"Yes sire." Spectra got up and walked out of the room. The being returned within its mind.

"Have you decided on if you agree or not?" An eye opened.

"Yes. I have decided." Said the being. "If it will give me revenge on the Pines family, and that blasted Shifter, then I'm all for it!" The being laughed. "Let's make a deal!" The figure stuck out his hand, cloaked in blue fire.

"You shall get your revenge, Cipher. You shall. But first, I need you to attempt something." The two beings shook hands.

* * *

"So, what exactly has been going on recently?" Asked Tom. Atom and Azion looked at him.

"Well, we don't really know, actually. Everything just started going haywire and we've been called upon to help fix it."

"Jeez, and we thought what we did before was hard."

"At least you have more help this time." Said Dan.

"Yeah!" Said Takato. "We're all with you on this." Everybody nodded.

"Thanks guys." Said Azion. The end of the hole approached. "Get ready for reentry!" Everybody was deposited on Marucho's floor in the computer room. Mira looked at all of them.

"What just happened?"

"Long story." Said Tom. He slowly got up from the rest of the group as they untangled themselves. "But we're back."

"And we brought someone with us." Said Slight. Keith was able to get himself untangled and got up. He stepped away from the group moments before Mira tackled him with a hug.

"Keith! I'm so glad you're back!"

"Me too, Mira." Everybody else managed to get free.

"Okay, so what now?" Asked Kazu.

"I say we celebrate!" Said Kenta. "After all, not only did we get Keith back, but I think we saved another Reality!"

"Celebrations can wait." Said Marucho. "We still need to get everybody scanned." He got up and ran to the other room.

"Did the computer finally reboot?" Asked Dan.

"Yes." Said Marucho. "And it still had Guardromon's data, so it was able to make a card for him." Marucho came out of the room and handed the card to Kazu. "He's a Subterra."

"So that leaves two partners." Said Ryo. "Me and Monodramon and Kenta and MarineAngemon."

"Oh great." Said Kenta.

"Come on, you're up next." Said Marucho. Kenta sighed and MarineAngemon entered the room, very excited.

"Light!" It repeated.

"Yes, I know that." Said Kenta. The door closed behind him.

"So, who else wants to know what the next move is?" Asked Tom.

"I don't know." Said Atom. "If I had to guess, though, I would say something happens." Nobody noticed a small glow above them.

"If it's this easy, then maybe I don't actually need my physical form." Thought the triangle being above everyone. He slowly descended as to not attract attention, not that he could. Not being physical had its perks. The being was descending upon Atom.

"Did you have to say that?" Asked Dan. "Every time someone says something like that, something bad happens." Bill continued to lower slowly. Atom got up.

"Well, maybe not this time. I'm hoping something good happens and we might get some more info." Bill entered his head.

"Okay." Said Dan. "I guess if you're hoping that, I'll hope the same." Nobody noticed the slight change in Atom.

"I'm in control now!" Thought Bill. Within Atom's mind, he stared at Atom.

"Okay, just how many evil entities did the Destruction hire?" He asked.

"Only me and Spectra so far." Said Bill. "But he tasked me with taking over you. And now that I have you, I don't need a physical form anymore!"

"You're not fooling anyone, Cipher!"

"Harsh." Said Bill. "Especially when it's not true. So far, nobody has noticed anything strange about you. Face it kid, I'm you now and that's how it's going to be!"

"That's what you think."

"I grow bored of this. Let's try something more fun!" Bill snapped his fingers and Atom was instantly chained against a wall of his mind. His mouth zipped closed and he was rendered impotent. "Now then, for the next phase of the plan."

* * *

"Cipher should be in position any second now." Said the being to Spectra. "Once he has taken over the mind of Atom, he will be at our disposal. All the knowledge contained in that one being will make it far easier for me to start destroying Realities! And then, you will be the harbinger of it all. Without Keith to distract you, you will be far more powerful!"

"Yes sire."

* * *

"Sir, we detect something strange happening in the Bakugan Reality."

"What happened?"

"It seems that an unidentified being entered Atom's mind."

"Unidentified?" Asked the Commander. "Run an analysis on the being."

"On it." The data began to appear as the scans took hold. "Analysis complete."

"Data on screen." The screen turned into an image of Bill Cipher with the image of a six fingered hand in the top left corner.

"But I thought he was destroyed." Said the Commander. "How? How is this possible?"

* * *

"So, what's the next move?" Asked Tom. "I might not have been around as long as the rest of you with this, but I think I need to know."

"Well, before we answer that, did you hear a voice?" Asked Azion.

"A voice? When?"

"Just before you shifted." Said Chaos.

"Yeah, I heard a voice." Said Tom. "It gave me this." He held up his Pokeball.

"What is it?" Asked Takato. "It looks like a regular ball to me."

"It is a ball." Said Tom. "But it's a special kind that is capable of storing living creatures harmlessly."

"A Pokeball." Said Chaos. Everybody looked at him except Atom and Azion. "Hey, I just watched the show it was from a lot in the past. It's not a hard thing to know about back home."

"Okay, but what significance does it have?" Asked Henry.

"Isn't it obvious?" Asked Azion. "It allows Tom to summon Pokémon to help him."

"And it allows me to use a few Pokémon moves." Said Tom.

"Uh, what's a Pokémon?" Asked Rika, slowly sounding out the last word. "It sounds similar to Digimon."

"Atom, you want to try explaining the difference?" Asked Tom.

"Okay Cipher, just do your thing." Thought Bill.

"Well, let's just say that back home they were similar enough to start a controversy about one of them being a rip-off of the other." Said Atom. The real Atom was struggling within his own mind, trying to get a message out to someone, anyone.

* * *

Another Negative Shifter appeared outside of the Gravity Falls Reality. "So, this is Gravity Falls, huh? Seems devoid to" the Shifter wasn't able to finish his thought before a beam suddenly ripped out of the Reality and hit him. He shook his head to shake off the after effects. "Okay, never mind."

"Eat laser swine!" Yelled someone. Another blast was fired at the Shifter. He looked at the source to see Stanford Pines inside of a bubble. "You are not welcome here!"

"What the?" Asked the Shifter. Ford fired another laser only for the Shifter to create a mirror in front of him to blast it back. The laser hit the laser gun, destroying it.

"Okay, so you got more bite than I gave you credit for, I'll give you that. But, you're still no match for me!"

"Am I now?" Asked the Shifter. His hands glowed and a book appeared between them. "I think I can do a lot more than you think!" He flipped open the book to a specific page. "Perhaps I should summon the mind demon!"

"You wouldn't!" Gasped Ford. The Shifter began chanting.

* * *

Leonidas looked up a little as he got a cryptic message from Atom. "What does Atom mean he's trapped within his own mind? Isn't that where you typically are?" He looked at Atom again, and noticed his slightly elongated eyes. "Could it be true?"

"Okay, so what's the next step?" Asked Runo. "It can't be that long before another Reality goes under threat!" The door opened.

"MarineAngemon is Haos." Said Marucho.

"Great." Said Kenta. "The only attribute I didn't want. I can't do anything with it!" He noticed Runo glaring at him again, but not Atom. He hid behind Marucho.

"Okay, so that leaves Ryo and Monodramon. Could both of you come here please?"

"On it." Said Ryo. He and Monodramon entered the room behind Marucho. Just before the door closed, however, Atom began glowing brightly. He looked at his hands.

"Well, this is peculiar." He vanished.

"Uh." Said Dan. "What just happened?"

* * *

"The next stage is set." Said Bill. Atom's face contorted a little as Bill's features filled in.

* * *

"Any minute now." Said the Negative Shifter.

"You can't honestly think that Bill is going to come." Said Ford. "After all, he was destroyed when we wiped Stan's memory!"

"He wasn't destroyed, only severely damaged." A light flashed nearby. "And there he is."

* * *

Cassie sat down while checking her phone. Her mom turned the TV on and it began blaring the news. "Yet another location mysteriously destroyed! Is this child to blame?" The TV showed an entire building demolished and an image of Tom above it.

"Hold on, isn't that Tom?" Wondered Cassie. The news continued on.

"In accordance to previous news, three other sites have been decimated by an unknown force, and the only clues are these three missing kids." The news showed the three other destroyed places and Atom, Azion and Chaos.

"No flipping way!" Said Cassie. "There's no way they would've done that kind of damage!" She stood up quickly. "I have to help them!" She began to run away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Asked her mom.

"I need to help them! I won't let them down!"

"You're going to stay here." Cassie sighed.

"Sorry mom, but I have to go against you today." Cassie grabbed her shoes and ran out the door.

"Get back here!"

"I have to save Atom." Thought Cassie. "There's nothing else to it."

"Cassie." Cassie stopped in her tracks as she heard a voice. "Cassie."

"Who's there?"

"It is time once again."

"Again?"

"You must return to those you helped. You must use the power of the mind and the power of this book." A book appeared in front of Cassie, showing a six fingered hand with the number four on it.

"Wait, isn't this"

"Now go! Save your teammates!" Cassie glowed brightly and vanished just as her mom ran outside.

"Where do you think you're" she noticed the absence of Cassie. "Where did you go?"

* * *

"Whoa!" Yelled Cassie. She looked at the book and saw it flipping through pages by itself. It stopped on a page showing how to force a demon out of someone's mind. "What am I going to use this for?"

* * *

Atom raced onto the scene, still showing signs of Bill's overshadowing. "About time I was summoned." Said Bill.

"Sorry about that." Said the Negative Shifter. "This man decided to delay it." Bill looked at Ford.

"Stanford Pines. It's a pleasure to see you again after you tried to erase me from existence!"

"Bill?" Asked Ford. "But how?"

"Easy." Said Bill. A cane appeared in Atom's hand and he began spinning it. "Just as I was about to be erased, something called to me and brought me out of Stanley's mind just as he hit me. And now, I work for him!"

"You're insane!" Yelled Ford.

"Yeah? What else is new?" Bill laughed. "Anyways, it's time we got on to destroying you and this Reality. So, take this!" Bill snapped Atom's fingers and summoned a large fireball. He launched it at Ford, only for him to take out a thin line and spin it. The fireball was reflected back at Bill.

"I don't know about you, Bill, but I've learned a few new tricks since we last met!" Said Ford.

"I'll stay out of this." Said the Negative Shifter. He backed away and vanished without a trace.

"Oh, I think you'll be excited to know what I have in store for you, Ford." Said Bill. Atom's hand began glowing as Bill tapped into the Attribute Wheel's power. "For example, let's try this!" The Aquos symbol glowed and Atom shot a waterfall out of his hand at Ford. He dodged out of the way.

"This is going to be hard." Said Ford. Not far away, Cassie exited her transport. She shook her head back and forth, then looked around.

"Well then, this is different." She then noticed the waterfall and followed it to both ends. "That's Stanford!" She then saw the origin. "And Atom!" She then noticed his distorted features. "Oh no. He's been corrupted by Bill!"

"I could keep this up all day!" Said Bill. The waterfall changed into pure fire as the Pyrus symbol glowed.

"You can, but your host can't." Said Ford. "After all, he's not made of energy!"

"Oh, but I'm not drawing from him." Said Bill. "I'm drawing from the power he can channel!" The Subterra symbol glowed and the rain of fire turned into a rain of rocks. Cassie rushed forward.

"No!" She yelled. She tackled Atom and he stopped firing rocks. He looked at Cassie.

"Now why did you tackle me?" He asked, with his own voice and face.

"Nice try, Bill." Said Cassie. "You take me for a fool?"

"It was worth a try." Said Bill. He created an energy field and blasted Cassie away. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a Reality to destroy!" A flash of light shined a fair distance away. "Or maybe I should increase my power even more!" Bill shoved Cassie away, planning on taking the gene himself.

"No!" Yelled Cassie She charged Bill and thrust her book out in front of him just as the beam hit. It was absorbed into her book.

* * *

"So, does anybody know what just happened?" Asked Dan.

"I don't." Said Tom.

"I don't think any of us do." Said Rika.

"If we did, we'd have an answer." Agreed Alice. Marucho and Ryo reentered the room.

"Okay, so Ryo and Monodramon are done." Said Marucho. "Although they got a weird reading."

"Apparently the computer decided that Monodramon was comparable to something called a White One." Said Ryo.

"A White One?" Asked Takato. "What are those?"

"They are, were" Marucho caught himself, "Bakugan that bore no Attribute. As such, they were dubbed White Ones and had no natural powers or abilities."

"They also had short lifespans." Said Drago. Leo then got an idea.

"I think I just figured something out." Said Leonidas. Everybody looked at him. "Atom sent me a message and told me that he was trapped within his mind. At first, I didn't know what he meant, but I think I know now. Something invaded his mind and took over!"

"What?" Asked Azion.

"How didn't we notice?" Asked Chaos.

"I'm not sure, but something has Atom and doesn't want to share."

* * *

Cassie's book was glowing vibrantly. Bill laughed. "You fool! A book cannot contain the power of a Realital Gene! You've just destroyed it!" The book stopped glowing as the all too familiar triangle appeared on its cover.

"I think you're wrong, Bill." Said Cassie. "I think this might just help!" Atom managed to break free of his restraints for a moment.

"Cassie! Call out Energy Twist! Light!" Called Atom.

"Now you be quiet!" Said Bill. He pushed Atom back into his mind. "Anyways, where were we? Oh yes. I was about to destroy this Reality!" He turned to Cassie. "And there's nothing you can do about it."

"What if I try what Atom suggested?" Asked Cassie. Bill paled a little.

"No! Don't!"

"Energy Twist!" Yelled Cassie. "Light!" He book glowed brightly as it flipped to a specific page. Cassie's body began to glow as the power of her book was fed into her. "Time for me to defeat you, Cipher!"

"As if." Said Bill. "You weren't able to beat me before, what makes you think you can do it now?"

"This." Said Cassie. Her hand began to glow and she chanted a few words. "Exitus Monatus!" Atom's body began to glow.

"What's happening?" Asked Bill. The glow grew brighter as Cassie continued to chant. Bill felt himself being pulled away from Atom. "No! You will not take me from here!" Atom broke free of his restraints.

"I think she will." He said. He then began to push Bill out of his mind along with Cassie's chanting.

"No! I will not leave this place! I was given it by one who wants me to have my revenge!" Cassie's chanting slowed.

"Extrocate!" She called. Bill was suddenly forced out of Atom's mind and back into the real world.

"No!" He said. "You have ruined everything!"

"No, we're just beginning!" Said Atom. He went over to Cassie. "After all, even you can't break the bonds of family!"

"Time for you to take a hike!" Said Cassie. She held her book high. "I call upon the powers of Reality to send Bill Cipher, the Mind Demon, back to where he was summoned!" The book began to glow and was trying to suck Bill in.

"You may have bested me this time, but you will never defeat me!" Yelled Bill. He vanished into thin air. Ford came over.

"What just happened?" He asked. "Cassie, who is this?"

"Ford, this is Atom, my cousin."

"You mean this is Atom? I never thought Bill would've ever attempted to take you."

"Unfortunately, he had help from something called the Destruction." Said Atom.

"The Destruction?" Asked Ford. "I think I remember reading about that during my studies. It was said that it would stop at nothing to destroy Reality One. At the time, I thought it was metaphorical. However, now I'm not so sure."

"Whatever the case, I think it's important for us to return." Said Cassie. Her book stopped glowing and she returned to normal. "I think we might need some help from Dipper and Mabel."

"What could you possibly need them for?" Asked Ford. Then, several lights went into the Reality.

"Apparently I'm not the only one who thought we needed them." Said Cassie. Several glowing points shone in the Reality and came out of it. Two lights turned into Dipper and Mabel.

"What's going on?" Asked Dipper. Another light hit Ford, popping his bubble.

"Grunkle Ford?" Asked Mabel. "Is that you?"

"Hey kids." Said Ford. "Did anything weird happen today?"

"I'll say!" Said Stan. Everybody present turned to him. "What? Am I not allowed out here?"

"Well, we don't really know what's happening." Said Cassie. "I'm not saying you shouldn't be, I'm just wondering why."

"I'm wondering that too." Said Wendy. Dipper turned to her.

"Wendy?"

"The one and only."

"And what about me?" Mabel turned and saw Gideon.

"Ugh, Gideon."

"Hey! That's no way to talk right now! None of us know what's going on!"

"Yeah, that's so not right." Said Pacifica.

"You too?" Asked Mabel.

"And us too!" Said Old Man McGucket. Everybody turned to see him, Robbie and Soos.

"Okay, what the heck is happening here people?" Asked Dipper. "I'm freaking out here!"

"Oh, calm down." Said Mabel. "So what if we're floating outside of our home" her voice trailed off as she realized exactly what Dipper was freaking out about. She screamed.

"What are we going to do?" Asked Robbie over and over.

"This is beyond weird." Said Wendy. Almost everybody began freaking out.

"Everybody, calm down!" Said Ford. "There is a reasonable explanation for this. I believe we have all been given Realital Genes."

"What the heck are Realital Genes?" Asked Pacifica. "They sound gross."

"Quite the contrary." Said Ford. "Realital Genes are actually quite miraculous. They allow an individual to see beyond their own Reality and discover the greater idea of what's out there!"

"And that is supposed to calm us down how?" Asked Robbie.

"It's not." Said Cassie. "It's to make you realize where you are so you can calm down yourself." All but Atom and Ford looked at her.

"When did you get back?" Asked Wendy. "As far as I remember, Dr. Crazy over there said you couldn't return."

"Hey!" Said Ford. "Although, I guess you could say that's accurate."

"When I got here is besides the point." Said Cassie. "The thing we need to focus in is why you're all out here instead of in there."

"I think I know." Said Atom.

"Hold on, who are you?" Asked McGucket.

"Me?" Asked Atom. "I'm her cousin." He pointed to Cassie. "The name's Atom."

"Since when do you have a cousin?" Asked Robbie.

"Again, beside the point." Said Cassie. A hole opened nearby.

"What is that?" Asked Dipper.

"Relax." Said Atom. "It's perfectly safe. Follow me!" Atom went straight towards the hole, and Cassie followed him. The others had no choice but to follow and hope for the best. Dipper approached Atom.

"So, who are you?"

"Me?" Asked Atom. "I'll give you the abridged version. My name is Atom and I'm a Reality Shifter. I was once summoned to help others protect their world from the forces of evil, and decided to stay there for a while. I left a few years later to return to my home, and then found myself out here again for an unknown purpose."

"If that's the abridged version, I don't think I want to hear the full one." Said Dipper. Mabel came up to the two.

"What are you two talking about?"

"He asked me who I was and I gave him the abridged version." Said Atom.

"Is that so?" Asked Mabel. Dipper sighed.

"Okay Mabel, what are you really over here for?"

"What? Just because I'm over here I have some sort of ulterior motive?" Dipper crossed his arms at her. "Fine. I just wanted to know who Cassie's cousin was. Is that so wrong?"

"Couldn't you have just been honest from the beginning?" Asked Dipper. Atom noticed something ahead.

"Everybody, be ready!" He called.

"Ready for what?" Asked Stan. He looked ahead to see the end of the hole.

"Brace yourselves!" Called Ford. The hole suddenly ended and thrust the entire group just outside the Bakugan Reality. Cassie looked around.

"Everybody okay?"

"All good here." Said Wendy.

"I suppose I could be worse." Said Robbie.

"All good over here dudes!" Yelled Soos.

"So, where are we?" Asked Ford. "I don't think I've ever seen this place before."

"You probably wouldn't of." Said Atom. "This place is basically on the opposite side of Gravity Falls in terms of Realities." Something clicked in his head. "Wait, opposite side?"

"What are you talking about?" Asked Cassie.

"Oh, uh, nothing much." Said Atom. "Just thinking aloud." Cassie didn't seem satisfied with the answer, but accepted it.

* * *

"We have to go after him!" Said Dan.

"But Dan, we don't even know where he is!" Argued Runo.

"Maybe another hole will appear and we can go through it to find him!"

"And how do you propose we get out there?" Asked Marucho. "In case you've forgotten, we can't get out there on our own yet. We physically can't go get him!" The air began to shimmer above.

"Uh, what's happening?" Asked Takato. Dan and Runo looked up to see Atom, Cassie and the Gravity Falls people coming down. They all landed on Dan and Runo.

"That was a bit rough." Said Ford. He tried to get up only to discover Mabel on him.

"What just happened?" She asked.

"I don't know, but I don't like it!" Said Stan. He got up and looked around. "Who are all these people?" Atom was able to untangle himself and get up.

"Relax, we are all friends here." He said. Stan got rid of his threatening stance, but was still battle ready.

"Get these people off of me!" Yelled Dan. "I'm being crushed!"

"Speak for yourself Dan!" Said Runo. Atom sighed and got to work, helping everybody up. When everybody else was up, Dan and Runo were able to get up.

"Okay, so where are we?" Asked Ford.

"You're in my house." Said Marucho.

"I mean what Reality." Said Ford.

"Bakugan." Said Azion.

"What's Bakugan?" Asked Dipper.

"Who cares?" Asked Mabel. "This is going to be awesome!" She grabbed her grappling hook.

"Mabel, don't do it!" Said Cassie. Mabel looked at her, then accidentally fired it. It hit Guardromon.

"Ow!" He said. Mabel looked at him.

"Are you some kind of futuristic robot?"

"I'm not a robot!" Said Guardromon. "I'm a Digimon!"

"Digimon?" Asked Ford. "Creatures from a Digital World?"

"How did you know?" Asked Takato.

"Let's just say I've explored far and wide." Said Ford.

"Okay, everything about our new guests aside," started Atom, "Ford here thinks he might have an idea as to what the Destruction is."

"If he does, then why hasn't he said it yet?" Asked Dan.

"Maybe if you would be quiet for a minute, he would!" Said Runo.

"Okay! Okay! Just hurry up with it."

"Uh, before he does, I have a question." Said Marucho.

"Yes?" Asked Ford.

"Who are you?"

* * *

 _The pieces have been set, and the plan in motion. With the five defenses in place, we may have a chance. However, not all is good. Destruction is imminent and nothing can truly prevent it. By recruiting others with an evil past, it grows its own power. Something will break soon. We can't stop that._


	8. Alignment of Heroes

**I would've posted a regular chapter today, but I was out late on Thanksgiving and I have somewhere I need to go early today. In any case, enjoy the chapter!**

With the Destruction pushing its plans, it hired Bill Cipher to take control of Atom and make him its own. However, the plan was foiled by Atom's cousin, Cassie. By using her new powers, she was able to force Bill out of Atom's mind, freeing him and opening the door for the people of the Zodiac to leave the Reality. Once done, the plan was set, and all the heroes were brought together. What is in store for them all?

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

"Who are we?" Asked Ford. "Well, I think I should give a brief description, otherwise we would be here for years. My name is Stanford Pines. I'm a researcher specializing in anything weird." He gestured to Stan. "That's my brother, Stanley Pines. And those two are my great niece and nephew, Dipper and Mabel Pines." He turned to the rest. "That's Soos, the handyman of the group. That's Robbie. That's Wendy. That's Pacifica, and that's McGucket."

"What about me?" Asked Gideon.

"Oh yes, that's Gideon. I believe that's everybody, right?"

"Okay, got it." Said Marucho. "Now, could you tell us what the Destruction is?"

"Finally!" Said Dan. "Something we can use!"

"Gladly." Said Ford. "So, about 25 years ago, I stumbled upon what seemed to be an ancient text. Using several cryptograms and ciphers, I was able to decrypt what is said. There were several points of interest on it. One sentence stated that the Destruction would stop at nothing to destroy Reality One. Once I discovered that, I began to read the rest, discovering exactly what it is. In doing so, I found a prophecy, similar to the one that would supposedly defeat Bill. It went something like this: When the powers of five are united, the path onward continues. However, it is paved in darkness and despair. With each Reality destroyed, its venues arise. The power of five protect the home, where everything is new. Five heroes are needed, with the powers of each. Supported by friends, their power reaches its peak. They light up the darkness, sealing it away, only for it to return yet another day." Everybody was stunned for a little bit.

"So, what you're saying is that we need five powers in order to be able to deal with that thing out there?" Asked Dan. "Where are we going to find those?"

"I think I know." Said Atom. Everybody looked at him in anticipation. "The powers of five are here. It's all of us. Bakugan, Digimon, Magic The Gathering, Pokémon and Gravity Falls. And the heroes are those of us who have the new ability of Energy Twist."

* * *

The Commander was stunned. The answer he was looking for had been in front of him the entire time. "Syark, has the computer finished translating the ancient text?"

"Yes Commander."

"How much of it matches up with what Stanford Pines said?"

"Every word."

"So the five heroes are those we gave the Omega Genes to." Said Claip. "Astounding."

"I don't believe it." Said the Commander. "All this time, we've been trying to keep the Realities safe from the Destruction, but we never stood a chance. We don't have the abilities of the Realities."

"What do we do now, sir?" Asked Syark.

"The only thing we can do." Said the Commander. "We tell them."

* * *

"Wait, so you're saying that all of us gathered here are needed to stop the Destruction?" Asked Dan.

"I think so." Said Atom.

"I would agree." Said Ford. "It fits perfectly with the Prophecy. However, there's still more."

"How much more could there be?" Asked Julie.

"I'll be honest, I kinda don't want to know." Said Henry.

"I don't think any of us do." Said Rika.

"The rest of the text said that even with those five, there were others that protected them."

"Others protecting the heroes?" Asked Tom.

"No, others protecting the Realities." Said Ford. "If I'm right about this, it means that the Destruction cannot destroy these five Realities until he takes out what powers the heroes in the first place. So that means"

"The Destruction was testing us." Said Chaos. "It was seeing how strong our defenses are."

"What?" Asked Takato. "You mean that with all the power you guys threw at it, it was just a small portion of its true power?!"

"That's not possible!" Said Dragonomon. "We all had to give it our all in order to stop that thing!"

"Not quite." Said Atom. Everybody who was freaking out looked at him. "I was there for every attack. It started with me and Leo. We faced it first, and had the most difficulty. Then Azion and Dragonomon faced it and took it out far easier. Then Chaos defeated it, followed by Tom and then Cassie. With every attack, it's been easier because we've been aligning the powers."

"So, you're saying that we're becoming stronger by battling it and its minions?" Asked Cassie.

"That's exactly what he's saying." Said Ford.

"The pieces are in place." Everybody began looking around.

"Who said that?" Asked Dan.

"The powers are united."

"What's going on?" Asked Takato.

"The next phase can begin." The room began to glow.

"I don't like any of this!" Yelled Stan.

* * *

"Sir, we're getting warping alarms in the Bakugan Reality!"

"Warping?" Asked the Commander. "We haven't had any events like that for millennia!"

"It seems to be centered on where the five are."

"Centered on them?" The Commander began to think.

* * *

"What the heck is going on here?" Asked Henry. The room continued to get brighter, then was plunged into darkness. Nothingness. As everybody's eyes adjusted, though, they began to see a small glowing.

"Greetings, Shifters." Said the voice again. "I am certain that you have lots of questions."

"That's an understatement!" Yelled Robbie. "Where the heck are we?"

"That will be answered in time." Said the voice. "As will every other question you may or may not have."

"Okay, so we're in an unknown place at an unknown time." Said Ford. "Very interesting."

"Now, you are all here because you share one fate." Said the voice. "You are all capable of defending the Realities. As such, you are all here to learn your place in the Prophecy."

"Learn our place in the Prophecy?" Asked Shun.

"Yes. So far, you have learned of the Prophecy and what it entails. However, you have not learned about who made it and what it truly means for all of you."

"Why is that important?" Asked Terriermon.

"Because it is the only way for you all to save the Realities. Now, let us go into the story of what happened before!" The area became blindingly bright.

* * *

"Sir, they're gone!"

"Gone?" Asked the Commander. "All of them?"

"All of them are gone."

"Where did they go?" Asked the Commander.

* * *

The light died down, and everybody stopped shielding their eyes. There was nothing around. "What are we looking at?" Asked Dipper.

"Nothing. At least, not yet." A flash of light appeared, then faded quickly. "This is the beginning of time. As many scientists think, it was caused by a Big Bang, but had several other factors that I will not be getting into." A line began extending from where the light flashed. Then, it split into hundreds of lines, if not thousands. "The first major split was at the very beginning as nature took its course. Almost all of those Realities are inhospitable to all life forms, but let's focus on the one that can give rise to living beings." Most of the lines vanished, leaving one. "This is the Reality that became known as Reality One. The base Reality. All Realities stemming from it are capable of sustaining life." The line continued to grow. "As time went on, the Timeline remained pretty much stable. No splits whatsoever. But when the first organisms appeared, the next major split occurred." The line split again, into a few dozen. "The organisms had thoughts, and those thoughts changed the Reality by splitting it to make more for every choice." Every Reality continued to split. "This major splitting ceased soon after in comparison, about 60 Million years, but everything had changed. Each Reality began to develop its primitive states and began forming dimensions and worlds. That is when the First Shifter came about. And it is also when the Destruction began. The First Shifter was a loner, someone who did not fit into his society. One day, while hunting, he came across a strange ball. It was not of his world, or his Reality. It was one of the first Bakugan."

"One of the first?" Asked Drago.

"Yes. It was one of the first. However, it was not Dragonoid or Dharaknoid that came first, but the first Timeline Bakugan. None, excluding those present, know of this fact. The First Timeline Bakugan was designed to keep reincarnating to keep the Timelines safe. So when he met the First Shifter, a window opened." A light came out of one of the lines. "The First Shifter was bombarded by negative energy, and his body evolved to have a way to counter it. This was the creation of the Alpha Gene. After voyaging for years, the First Shifter found himself lost. He then was called into another Reality when it was in danger." The light quickly headed for a specific Reality. "The Reality was being destroyed by an unknown force, and he acted quickly. Despite not having any abilities of his own, the First Shifter headed right for the unknown force and summoned the power of the Realities against it. He summoned the power of Bakugan, and defeated the force, sending it back."

"That sounds somewhat familiar." Said Atom.

"However, the force was not deterred. It went after more and more Realities, and eventually the First Shifter could not stop it quickly enough. Realities started disappearing." A few lines vanished. "It was then that he called upon his power and created four more Alpha genes. Those four genes travelled across space and time to arrive at his friends. While the First Shifter was one of power, the others were not. One of them was of adaptability, and was able to modify his surroundings to better fit what he needed.

"That sounds like Digimodify." Said Azion.

"Another was able to use his knowledge to summon great strength."

"Magic The Gathering." Said Chaos.

"The third was able to use mystic powers at will, summoning the abilities of nature."

"Pokémon." Said Tom.

"The final was able to use research and information to create powerful devices capable of nearly anything."

"Gravity Falls." Said Cassie.

"With those four and their natural abilities, they were able to break free of the shackles of their Reality and help the First Shifter. However, having no natural abilities of his own, the First Shifter was often overshadowed by his friends. But, he had the most important role. Because of how long he had been drifting between Realities, the First Shifter was the teacher, the leader of the group. And combined, they were able to force back the energy that was destroying Realities. They were unable to destroy it. Instead, they travelled to the beginning of time, using their unique abilities to keep the Destruction under control, and passed through the barrier between time and what was before. There, they found the Negative Reality and sealed the destruction within it." The images faded, leaving the regular glow of the voice. "And that is the history of the Realities. It is also the history of the Destruction. But that is not all to the story. Because the Destruction was sealed away, the Realities had nothing stopping them. More and more began to be formed from every decision faced in each one. The five Shifters once again found themselves lost to time. They decided to split up, and each found their own Realities. The First Shifter partnered with the first Timeline Bakugan, and the cycle began with Vestroia, Neathia and Gundalia. Vestal and Earth were already evolving. With the others, the Digital World took form for the Digimon to be created, the five colors gained their power, Pokémon began to populate and weirdness began to spill into other worlds. Each of them had a purpose, and they fulfilled it. When they died, they became part of the Timeline they had embodied and those Realities became defenders of the first where they originated from."

"So, how does that help us now?" Asked Dan. "Because I'm pretty sure none of us are related to the first five."

"None of you are, that is correct. However, Atom, Tom, Azion, Chaos and Cassie all have a link to the firsts. They each have an Alpha Gene, and each have an ability unique to the reality they protect. Atom has the power to split into all six Attributes to combat whatever comes his way. Tom is capable of summoning any Pokémon he needs to complete any mission, and the ability to use moves to protect himself and others. Azion has the ability to change his Digivice so that he can better utilize its powers, and possibly what's around him. Chaos can use the colors in ways never thought of before and Cassie can use anything around her to create an advantage."

"So, you're saying that each of us is unique in our own way and that those ways are what we can use to stop the Destruction?" Asked Cassie.

"Yes, and no. You five have the abilities, but not the power. You must find more power between you and the Realities you protect. Otherwise, you are limited in what you can truly do against the Destruction and will be defeated."

"Well, how do we get more power?" Asked Chaos.

"I think I'm understanding this." Said Marucho. "If I'm right, you guys need to make more connections to the other Realities. In doing so, you get more people to help and increase your power, right?"

"That is correct."

"So, if we want to save all Realities, we need to start by helping others?" Asked Atom. "I think we can do that!"

"Unfortunately, you need to go to Realities that are attuned to you, and you alone. Thus, you must figure out who you truly are before you can find the Realities you need to help." Atom, Tom, Azion, Chaos and Cassie began to glow.

"What's going on?" Asked Takato.

"I think they're getting trials." Said Runo. "They need to discover who they truly are in order to save everything."

"That is correct. You five will be separated from the rest to undergo your trials. You will be pushed to the limit of your power and to the limit of what you can do. However, if you emerge successful, you shall be more powerful than ever. Now, be on your way." The five glowed brighter, then shot into the sky and separated.

"Looks like they're off." Said Alice. "Let's hope for the best."

"They'll make it." Said Rika.

"If they can't, we're all doomed anyways." Said Ford.

"Clate."

"Huh? What?"

"I sense a feeling of doubt within you. You must be tested as well."

"Wait, what?" Clate began glowing. "What's going on?"

"You must learn that darkness is not you." Clate vanished. "The ones who must trial alone are on their way. Now, as for the rest of you."

"What about us?" Asked Wendy.

"You are going to be needed as well as part of their power. As such, you must all pick one to support completely. You will support all of them, but pick the one you support the most." Five lights flashed on, each one showing a different symbol. "The attributes represent Atom, and the Digivice Azion. The Colors represent Chaos while the Pokeball represents Tom. Finally, the hand represents Cassie." Everybody looked over their options, but none could decide. Marucho seemed the most conflicted. "Keep in mind, this is not the end all be all decision. This will change as you all travel together." With that in mind, Dan moved first.

"I know who I'm supporting." He stood in the light that represented Atom. "He's the one I've known the longest, and the one I would trust with my life. If I don't support him, I'd practically be betraying him."

"I can say the same for Azion." Said Takato. He stepped underneath the corresponding light.

"Cassie was someone we couldn't figure out, and that mystified me." Said Dipper. "I think I should support her, just because of how much she made me think."

"I'm with you Dipper!" Said Mabel. The two walked under the light representing Cassie. The others slowly began to move, one by one, until they had all chosen. Most of the Brawlers had chosen Atom, most of the Tamers had chosen Azion and all of those from Gravity Falls had chosen Cassie. Marucho had chosen Tom and Ryo chose Chaos. Each of the partners of them had chosen their respective partner.

"So, are you all in the correct place?"

"I think we are." Said Marucho.

"Good. Now we know who supports who. But there is still much to be done." The area began to glow, and everybody vanished. They reappeared In what appeared to be a spring, surrounded by trees and plants. Everybody began looking around.

"What are we doing here?" Asked Stan. "There's nothing but plants as far as I can see."

"Exactly."

"So what's the point?" Asked Ryo.

"There is something only you can know."

"Something only we can know?" Asked Gideon. "Oh, I'm excited!"

"You see, none of you were supposed to receive Realital Genes. Someone decided to give them to you."

"Someone decided to give us this power?" Asked Henry. "Who would do that?" An image rose out of the spring. It was an Infinity Symbol

"The Commander at the Infinity Matrix gave the order for all of you to get Realital Genes. His thinking was that by giving them to you, you could help the other five."

"Something tells me that you don't agree with him." Said Marucho.

"I do agree with him, except for the timing. You see, if it were up to me, I would've given you your genes after the five took their trials. But now, I must give all of you a trial."

"What kind of trial?" Asked Dan.

"One that will push your ability to work as a team. You will have to defeat me at my game."

* * *

"The next phase of the plan is in sight." Said the being. "Both of you have been useful in your own ways, but now it's time for you to work together."

"How would you suggest we do that?" Asked Spectra.

"Yeah, I'm with him." Said Bill. "I'm not exactly the best for use outside of taking over someone's mind."

"But that's where you're wrong." Said the being. "You see, I have reason to believe that you can combine your powers."

"Combine our powers?" Asked Spectra. "But how?"

"I believe that the way forward is to get more villains from across the Timelines to assist you, as well as test your combined abilities. Spectra, as a Reality Shifter of Bakugan, you are capable of Form Change. And Bill, you discovered something you could do if you inhabit a Shifter's body capable of Form Change. See if you can figure out my idea." Spectra and Bill looked at each other.

"I suppose it could work." Said Bill. "But the process to do so may be difficult."

"Perhaps we could try it a different way?" Suggested Spectra.

"Whatever you two decide, you will be tested. Now go. Figure out a way." Spectra bowed, then left with Bill. The being once again delved into its mind and was surrounded by images. "I just need a new ability from another Reality, one those Hero Shifters cannot combat. But which one?" It looked over its choices, then decided on one. "I believe you will do nicely." It stared at an image of an alien of some degree. Humanoid in form but not looks. "I believe you will do nicely indeed." It looked at a trio of creatures. "And I believe I will need you as well."

* * *

"Defeat you?" Asked Kazu. "But how can we do that when we can't even see you?"

"Simple. You are all Shifters, are you not? Figure out a way. Until you figure out where I am, you're stuck here. That's your test. Now, do your best!" The voice fell silent.

"How do we figure out where he is?" Asked Kenta. "We got nothing to go off of!"

"But what if we do?" Asked Alice. Everybody stared at her. "The voice asked us if we were all Reality Shifters. What if he was talking about us using our powers?"

"I guess that makes sense." Said Rika. "But how are we supposed to get out of this place? Last I checked, we couldn't leave anywhere without one of the big shots helping."

"She kinda has a point." Said Takato.

"Well, there must be something we can do." Said Keith. "Otherwise we wouldn't have this test."

"What if it's something to do with knowledge?" Asked Marucho. "If only we knew the right path!" This clicked something in Ford's mind.

"The right path." He said. He began searching on the ground.

"What're you trying to find Grunkle Ford?" Asked Mabel.

"The right path." Said Ford. "If I'm right, we can find it here."

"Here?" Asked Stan. "That's crazy talk!"

"So was anything else he was right about back home!" Argued Dipper. "Let's get searching everybody!"

* * *

Cassie fell towards something. As she reached it, she slowed down, then fell the last few feet. She began looking around. "Where am I? Hello?" Nobody answered. "Janthide! Atom! Anybody?" Silence plagued her. "What am I supposed to do here?" She noticed her book on the ground. "Don't want to leave that behind." As she picked it up, however, the ground under her fell, sending her down. She tried to grab onto the ledge, but it broke under her weight. She landed on something else and looked around. She seemed to be within the gears of a clock. "Okay, what is this place?"

"A place where nothing that seems real is real." Said a voice. Cassie looked behind her to see a ghostly form of Atom.

"Atom? What happened to you?" The ghostly body laughed.

"I am not Atom. I am simply using a familiar body to communicate with you."

"Okay, so what am I doing here?"

"You are here for your trial, Cassie. And your answer comes with a riddle."

"I love riddles! Hit me with it!" The ghostly form coughed.

"Are you sure?"

"Any riddle can be solved with the right mind!" The ghostly form nodded.

"Within this place lies a treasure. One no mere being can hold. In order to acclaim this trophy, one must sacrifice themselves for the greater whole. You cannot rely on others alone, for that leads astray. You must use your mind to leave before the string frays."

"That doesn't sound like much of a riddle to me." Said Cassie.

"Oh, but it is. You need to see what's not there in order to succeed. But that is where my help must end, for you are in this without a friend." The ghostly image started to fade.

"Wait! What the heck are you talking about?"

"I figured you would've put the clues together, young one. You're separated from everybody you care about. You must rely on yourself." The ghostly image vanished.

"I must rely on myself?" Asked Cassie. "What does that mean?" She heard something that sounded like snapping, and looked up to see that there was a string holding up the gear she was on. It was holding on by one thread. "Crud!" She jumped to the nearest gear just as the one she was standing on fell. "Okay, I really need to be careful here!" She began looking around and saw her book, floating a few gears away. "Yes! I can use that to my advantage!" She jumped over to another gear, then another. Just as she reached for her book, though, it fell to pieces. "What?" The gear she was standing on fell, and she was just able to grab onto the ledge of another one. She started pulling herself up. "I guess those rock-climbing lessons paid off." She thought as she got atop the gear. She again saw her book nearby. "If I'm going to get out of here, I need my book. It probably has the answer I need!" She again crossed the gears to try and get her book, but for each gear she stepped on her book floated further away. "You can't keep knowledge away from me! Not forever!" The book vanished again. "Not again!" He book appeared behind her and she went after it again, only for the same thing to happen. The ghostly form watched her from afar.

"If she doesn't learn soon that the book is out of her reach, she will fail this trial." It said to itself. "And that is the last thing I would want to happen. Hopefully she figures it out." One of the ropes holding a gear snapped, and Cassie jumped off of it just in time. "But she probably won't."

"Ugh! Why can't I get my book? It probably has the answer I need!" She continued chasing it, not realizing what she was doing. "I need that info in order to solve this riddle!" Another gear fell under her as she jumped onto the next one. Then that one broke. Followed by the next. "I need my book!" She lunged at it, only to go through it. She landed on the next gear. "What?" The book vanished, only to reappear further down. "I don't get it. Why can't I grab my book?" She thought back to the riddle. "Within this place lies a treasure. One that no normal being can hold. Okay, so this treasure is what I am trying to find. But what else was in it? In order to acclaim this trophy, one must sacrifice themselves for the greater whole. What would I sacrifice? Then there's the last part. You cannot rely on others alone, for that leads astray. You must use your mind to leave before the string frays. What could it mean?" She heard creaking above, and jumped off of the gear. It fell down like the others. "Oh man, what can I do? There's nothing here for me to use! I don't have any info, I don't have any clue. What can I do?" She thought back to the riddle as she continued to chase her book. She didn't notice that she was running out of gears to run on. "I need my book. Without it, I have nothing." She reached out to grab her book, only to feel her foot land on nothing. She swung her arms all over the place, trying to regain her balance. When she did, she fell backwards onto the gear. As she looked up, she saw the rope beginning to break. "Without my book, I can't stop this! I don't have any info!" She thought about the riddle again as the rope continued to break. "You cannot rely on others alone, for that leads astray. You must use your mind to leave before the string frays. Well, I think I found the string. But that means nothing for me if I can't do anything about it!" She thought again to the riddle. "But what about the part that says I cannot rely on others alone? Does that mean I can't use others at all?" The rope broke further, being hung by only a few strings. "What if that's the answer? What if I'm not supposed to use the book?" Two more strings broke, leaving Cassie with one thread. "Okay, so if I can't use the book, what can I use?" She heard a creaking and saw the last thread tearing. "If I can't use the book, then I need to use my mind. But the info I need isn't in there, is it?" She remembered something the voice said, specifically about the final Shifter. "The final one was capable of using knowledge and Information to make devices capable of almost anything, and that led to Gravity Falls." The string broke further, nearly failing. "What can I make here? There are no parts anywhere!" She began to think. "What if I could create the parts?" With that, her hand glowed and the image of a six fingered hand appeared on it. She looked at it. "Could I use this?" The rope finally snapped and the gear began to fall. "I need to focus on everything I know, not what others know! I can do this!" The hand glowed and a small device popped out of it. Cassie grabbed it and pressed the lone button on it. The top suddenly sprung out, dragging a blue rope, and stuck to the ceiling of the place. Cassie held onto it with all her might as the gear dropped further. When she heard the loud clang of it hitting the floor, she looked up and began to climb. The Ghostly image watched her.

"So, she discovered one half of her true power. That is enough for now." Cassie continued to climb. "However, her trial is not over yet." Cassie reached the ceiling and managed to push it open, once again finding herself on the plains she entered on. She looked around, and saw her book laying on the ground nearby. She walked over to it. "So, you managed to escape the clockwork. Good job." Cassie looked up to see the Ghostly image. "You've passed your test. You are now free to reclaim your book." Cassie reached down to grab it, then stopped. "What are you waiting for? Take it so that I can send you back."

"No." Said Cassie. Surprised by her own actions, she kicked the book away. "I cannot rely on what others know. I have to be able to use my own brain to my advantage. If that means I cannot learn all of the answers, then that is what I shall do." The Ghostly Image nodded.

"Now you have passed your trial. Be learning to use your own knowledge and imagination, you have broken the seal on your power. You are now capable of summoning any device you can think of, but that is only half your power."

"Only half?" Asked Cassie.

"Yes. The other half will come in time. But for now, you need to return. We will meet again someday in the not too distant future."

"Thank you for your wisdom." Said Cassie. "I will use my new power to do what it takes to defeat the Destruction!"

"That is what I wanted to hear." The plain shattered and Cassie saw herself in a cloud. "Now, you are above where your friends are. If you wish to, you can look down upon what they are doing, but you cannot interfere. This is their trial, and they need to complete it. Do you understand?"

"Of course." Said Cassie. "Just as I had to find my way, they must find theirs."

"Exactly. Also, take this. You may not need it for the technology within, but it does contain ways to defeat Bill." A book appeared in front of Cassie, and she grabbed it. Instead of a hand, it showed the triangle. The Ghostly image faded, then revealed itself in its true form, an Axolotl. "I would wish you luck, but you can make your own."

"Wait, aren't you an Axolotl?"

"Yes, the same one Dipper and Mabel saw in the time and space between the time and space. One and the same. That is why I was chosen to give you your test. Also, I have a few more words of wisdom for you: He who has chanted my name shall never be the same. The life once wished is near at hand, but the crime still has demand. Trial him for his past mistake and heal his biggest ache. Only then will the power shine and unleash your true mind." The Axolotl left with a final laugh as Cassie began thinking.

"Could he be talking about Bill?" She gazed down upon the others.

* * *

"I think I found something!" Called Dan. Ford rushed over.

"What did you find?"

"I think I found a trail of some sort." Said Dan. "But I'm not sure." Ford looked down at what Dan was looking at, trying to figure it out. As he finally got it, he gasped.

"We're not looking at any individual I have ever researched." He said. "Those footprints are foreign to me."

"Foreign?" Asked Robbie. "As in, you don't know?"

"Yes." Said Ford. "We're dealing with something I have never even imagined before, something I don't think I can explain."

"Well, what if we worked together on it?" Asked Marucho. "Surely if we work together we can figure out what it is!"

"I'm afraid not." Said Ford. "Because there's nothing to figure out. It's just footprints. However, I think it would be wise to follow them."

"Why's that?" Asked Shun.

"Because it can't be any worse than where we are now."

"Good enough logic for me!" Said Dan. "Let's go!" The group began to follow Ford as he followed the footprints.

"Hopefully you guys learn what you need to know." Dipper and Mabel looked around to try and find Cassie, as they were sure they heard her. Seeing nothing, they continued their trail.

"You two heard her too?" Asked Janthide. She had approached the twins in ball form.

"Yeah, we did." Said Dipper.

"I hope she's fine." Said Mabel.

* * *

"So, how did Cassie do on her trial?"

"She discovered that she needs to utilize what she has and not what others have." Said Axolotl. "So, which one is next?"

"The next one is Tom. I will judge him." Said another being. It leaned into the light to reveal Arceus. "If he can complete his trial, I will have hope and leave him my power."

* * *

 _Cassie has completed her trial, and now mine is next. I have no clue what it is, but if this guy knows everything he's said about us so far, I think it'll reveal my biggest weakness. However, if I can't use my moves to break free of this place, I don't know anyone who can! This should be easy._


	9. Trials by Fire

**A little late, but here! Enjoy all!**

Dangers are all abound, but we have a chance. With each trial passed, a new power awakens. However, each and every path has a choice. One that could change the entire outcome. It is time for the trial of power.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

"Okay, I think we're getting close." Said Ford. He was still following the footprints and everybody was following him.

"How can you tell?" Asked Shun.

"I don't. I just gave the probable outcome."

"Of course you did." Complained Kenta. "Well, it could be worse. We could be doing math."

"Really? That's what's worse than this?" Asked Robbie. "I don't think so." The trail of footprints ran cold.

"And we're done here." Said Dan. "Now what?"

"Why don't we wait for him to figure out the next clue?" Asked Runo, signifying Ford.

"Let me see." He said. He began studying the area, and found what looked like a stone tablet. "I think I found something!" The entire group went over, and he began reading what was on it. "By finding this place, you've found the next clue. However it is not for you. I suggest giving it back so you may find it anew."

"So you mean we walked all the way here for nothing?!" Asked Dan.

"Not quite, Dan." Said Marucho. "We just need to figure this one out."

"Here, let me see it." Said Ryo. Ford handed him the tablet and the top of it flashed. "What the?"

"What happened?" Asked Rika.

"I don't know, but what he read isn't what's on this now."

"Well, what does it say?" Asked Julie.

"'Now you know the next path is you, so you must figure it out through and through. The symbols below are the answer, you see, for all you need is to follow with keen.' What the heck does that mean?" There were three symbols below, a hazard sign, a cube and a strand of DNA.

"Well, I'm not sure what the symbols mean, but I think it has to do with Digimon." Said Takato.

"You dufus, this clue is easy." Said Rika.

"How so?" Asked Takato.

"Those symbols are the attributes of our Digimon."

"Really?" Asked Suzie.

"I don't know." Said Lopmon. "I've never seen symbols for our typing."

"Well, the hazard sign can be talking about Guilmon." Said Takato.

"And he's a Virus type." Said Kazu.

"Any idea what they're talking about?" Asked Runo.

"If I did, I would tell you a translation." Said Ford.

"This is all too much for me." Said Stan. "Why are we out here again?"

"Well, if we want to leave this place, we have to follow the clues." Said Wendy. Up above, Cassie was watching.

"That is quite the riddle. Too bad I can't help with anything." She turned to her device she was tinkering with. "Now then, how can I use you here?" Her symbol glowed and then the device glowed. It reshaped itself into a ball, and opened. "Okay, so I just created a mechanical Bakugan. Not what I was going for." The ball closed back up. "Okay, I just need to focus." She began focusing on what she was trying to make, and the device turned into what looked like a camera. "Okay, now we're getting somewhere." She picked up the device and looked through it. She was able to see nothing. "Why does this have to be so hard?" Her hand slipped and pressed a button. A tiny drone came out of the camera and a picture appeared on its screen. "Okay then! That's better!" A small set of controls appeared on the screen and Cassie began to use them. The drone moved accordingly and the image followed. "Okay, let's see if I can use this to watch over them." She maneuvered the drone out of the cloud and into the world. "Nice and easy." The drone hovered above everybody as they began to decipher the stone tablet. "Awesome! Now I can watch them in perfect detail!"

* * *

Tom was falling towards the ground at a very high speed. "Oh no!" He continued to accelerate as the ground got closer. He positioned the Pokeball in front of him. "Fly!" Instantly, two wings came from the Pokeball and slowed his fall. He landed on the ground unharmed, but trembling. "That was far, far too close!"

"I'll say." Tom turned around to see what seemed to be a ghostly form of Slight, but scaled down. "I was worried that you wouldn't pull through."

"Who are you?" Asked Tom. He looked around a bit. "And where are Slight and the others?"

"Calm yourself. You are in the testing realm designed to push your abilities to their fullest potential."

"What do you mean?"

"I assume you remember the trials passed onto all of your friends in the past, and of the few placed upon you."

"I could never forget my trial against Atom. If it wasn't for him, I'd still be in the Doom Dimension."

"Exactly. Now, it is time for you to figure out your true power." The ground itself seemed to expand. "This is your trial. A battle." Someone appeared on the other side of the arena.

"Isn't that"

"No, it is not Ash. It is merely a version of him created for this trial."

"So, my test is to beat him?"

"Pretty much. But there is one stipulation. You are to battle him, not any Pokémon to your name. It is a five on one."

"What?" Asked Tom. "But that's unfair!"

"When you consider the advantage you wield, it is quite fair."

"You mean the Pokeball?"

"Yes. But you might want to focus on the battle." The Ash copy had thrown out a signature: Pikachu.

"Okay, this should be easy!"

"Quick Attack!" Called Ash. Pikachu dashed Tom, hitting him hard.

"Okay, that's a bit harder than I thought it was." Said Tom, shaking off his daze from being struck. "But now it's my turn! Earthquake!" The Pokeball glowed brown and the ground rumbled. Pikachu seemed unsteady but relatively unharmed.

"Let's do it again!" Said Ash. Pikachu attacked again with Quick Attack, dazing Tom again.

"This again? Earthquake!" Pikachu was rocked again and fell backwards. "Now then, let's do this! Time for me to"

"Pikachu, switch out!" Called Ash. Pikachu returned to him and Ash threw another Pokémon. "Okay Fearow, let's go!"

"Fearow." Said Tom. "Let's see what I can do." His Pokeball glowed yellow. "Thunderbolt!" A bolt of lightning came down and struck Fearow, defeating it instantly. Ash brought it back then pulled out his next one.

"Let's try this then! Fletchinder, I choose you!" He grabbed another Pokeball. "And you too Greninja!" The two Pokémon appeared.

"Two on one? Are you serious?" Asked Tom. "I guess I'll just have to be careful here. Time for me to use another Thunderbolt!" Another crack of lightning came down between Fletchinder and Greninja, tossing them both to the side.

"Greninja, Double Team! Fletchinder, Flame Charge!" The two did their moves and Tom had no idea where the real Greninja had gone to. Then he was hit from behind by Fletchinder.

"Come on! This is completely unfair!"

"Water Shuriken!" The ghostly being watched the attacks unfold.

"Tom needs to learn that there is more to his abilities than just moves. He cannot go on thinking the same way he has been." Tom got hit with another Flame Charge. "If he doesn't, he won't survive." Tom got hit by another Water Shuriken. He collapsed forward.

"I don't know what I can do." He said. "I can't combat him. Not like this." Nothing clicked in him. No ideas came to him. "It's hopeless. If I can't even defeat a goofball like Ash who takes the rules of Pokémon and turns them" something clicked in his head. "He turns them on their head and makes his disadvantage his advantage!" He was hit by another Shuriken. "I think I know what to do now! Time to try it!" He got back up, surprising the ghostly being. "It may look hopeless, but there's always a chance! I just need to try!"

"Greninja! Water Shuriken!" Greninja readied another attack.

"I cannot give up!" Greninja threw the shuriken at Tom, who focused. He brought his hands to the front, and the shuriken stopped. He moved his hands again and it was shot at Fletchinder, defeating it. "I might not be able to win with my moves alone, but I know I can beat you using yours!"

"Fletchinder, return!"

"Tom seems to have learned a little something. Let's see if he can unlock his power." Thought the being.

"Let's go Pikachu!" Pikachu again returned to the battlefield. "Thunderbolt!"

"I've got your game now! Time for me to redirect the attack!" Tom aimed one hand up and the other towards Greninja. The lightning came down and followed his arms right at Greninja. It was defeated.

"Greninja, return!" Ash grabbed another Pokeball. "Gliscor, I choose you! Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Pikachu charged up a large orb of electricity on its tail then launched it at Tom. He held out his hand and caught it, then threw it right back. It was aimed at Pikachu, but Gliscor got in the way and fizzled the attack.

"Really?" Asked Tom. "Fine. Let's continue this dance!" Pikachu attacked again, and Tom returned it, only for the same thing to happen. Then again, and again.

"Tom is yet unable to use his powers, only able to redirect others. This is troublesome."

"Is that all you got?" Asked Tom.

"Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" Pikachu complied and went in for the hit. Tom readied himself and stopped Pikachu's tail with his hands. Gliscor then went in and jabbed Tom in the gut. His hands faltered and Pikachu hit him. He collapsed to the ground. Pikachu and Gliscor landed nearby.

"This trial is over." Said the ghostly being. "Tom, you have lost." Then Tom did something very unexpected.

"No." He said as he got up. "It is not over."

"But how?" Asked the being. "You were defeated!"

"No, I was not. I was ready to be defeated, then something came to me. If I give up now, everything is doomed to destruction. I can't give up, no matter the risks. I can't give in, no matter the cost! If I want to help my friends, I need to fight with everything I have!" His Pokeball vanished and an image of it appeared on his hand. "No more doubt about myself! I have to continue on, otherwise I fail all Realities, my friends, and most of all, me. I will never give in!" The Pokeball on his hand lit up like a Christmas tree. "Time for me to summon my own moves!" A giant ball of water appeared over him. "Aquatic Crush!" He launched the water at Gliscor. Pikachu tried to electrify it, but didn't have enough time to. It struck Gliscor full force, defeating it. Ash recalled it.

"Pikachu! Electro Ball!" Pikachu launched an attack.

"Not this time." Said Tom. He held out his hand, and caught the ball. It grew in his hand and became brown. "This will end it! Terra Ball!" Tom launched the giant ball of earth at Pikachu. Without any time to dodge, Pikachu was struck, defeating it. Ash vanished, as did Pikachu, and then the area glowed a bright white. The ghostly being appeared in front of Tom.

"I must admit, I thought you were going to go down during this trial. I guess I was wrong. Time to return you to your friends. The area glowed brighter then dimmed. Tom was in a cloud. "Just like the others, you are to remain up here until the rest have completed their trial. From here, you can watch them freely without interfering."

"Thank you." Said Tom. "I just wish I knew who I was talking to."

"Wish granted." Said the ghostly being. The ghostly Slight vanished to reveal Arceus. "Just like the others, you have been taught by the god of your chosen Reality. I am Arceus, the tester. And you, Tom, have passed and unlocked half of your power."

"Only half?" Asked Tom.

"The rest will come in time. For now, have this." Arceus made a pure white Pokeball appear. "Just like before, you can use it to summon a Pokémon. However, it does not allow you to use Pokémon moves."

"Thank you." Said Tom. "I promise to uphold my end to the best of my ability!"

"Glad to hear it." Said Arceus. "You have given me hope yet again that we can defeat the Destruction, perhaps even eradicate it forever. However, only you and Cassie have passed your trials thus far. It is anyone's guess as to who will succeed in the end." Arceus started to vanish. "Remember. You are strong, but not strong alone. You need your friends to give you power, and you need the Realities themselves backing you." Arceus vanished.

"I will not fail." Said Tom. "None of us can fail."

* * *

Marucho began looking around. "Did you hear Tom too?" Asked Slight, floating nearby.

"I thought I did." Said Marucho.

* * *

"Two have completed their trials, and now four remain." Said Axolotl.

"Yes, but I have high hopes now." Said Arceus.

"The rest of us still disagree." Said another being. "All we see is potential, not absolutes."

"And what do you suggest?" Asked another being.

"I suggest we get the arrogant one dealt with." It stood up, revealing itself for a second. "Azion believes he can defeat anything thrown his way. It is time I corrected that." Omnimon vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Well then, he's on his way." Said Axolotl. "Any idea as to if Azion will complete his trial?"

"I say he has a low chance." Said the fourth being. "What about you?"

"He does have a low chance, but so did the others." Said the leader. "So it remains to be seen."

"I sense a darkness in him." Said a sixth being. "One that we must get rid of before it's too late." The others seemed to agree.

"However, there is still one obstacle. Azion faces power not many are capable of. Will his arrogance prove his downfall?"

"It may."

* * *

Azion fell towards the ground, and landed in a pool of water. He swam to the shore and climbed out, soaking wet. "Was that really needed?"

"Yes, it was." Azion turned around to see an Agumon. "You must forgive me, it was the only way to let you land safely."

"Okay, so where am I?"

"You are in the realm of testing. I am your tester."

"Well then, can we get started? I want to beat this thing as quickly as possible!" Azion didn't notice Agumon's change in posture.

"Very well, we shall commence immediately!" The land changed, turning into what looked like an arena. "You believe yourself the mightiest, yet you have no shame! You must learn what it takes and hold the blame!" Bellowed Agumon. "This trial is unlike any other, for you cannot win. You must fail before the fin!"

"I cannot win?" Asked Azion. "Ha! Fat chance of that! Bring it on!" Agumon shook his head.

"Fine. You will learn humility at the hands of those you have faced before!" Something began to materialize, and showed itself to be a scaled down version of Leonidas, back in his Neo Leonidas form.

"That's it?" Asked Azion. "I can take him any day!" The Leonidas attacked using his claws and Azion dodged out of the way. "You forget, I've been Bio-Merged before! I've learned agility and attacks from Dragonomon. Azion continued to dodge the Leonidas, eventually getting behind it and striking it. "Not to mention, I know his weak spot!" The Leonidas fell over and vanished.

"Let's try this then!" Said Agumon. Another being began to materialize, and showed itself to be Helios, in his Viper Helios form, once again scaled down.

"Another Bakugan? Really? I can take him down in my" Azion couldn't finish at the Helios punched him into the wall. "Okay, that one hurt a bit." Azion coughed a little. "But it's not enough to keep me down!" Azion charged the Helios and initiated the same dance as he did with the Leonidas. He struck down the Helios by hitting it on the back of its neck and then hitting its horn. It fell and vanished again. Another enemy was brought up, this time a Dharak. Azion quickly went to work again, going through his dance.

"He is too arrogant for his own good." Thought the Agumon. "That is something I need to change. It is the only way to remove the darkness within him." Azion threw the Dharak against the wall, and it vanished again. Then, a Beelzemon appeared. Azion quickly ran circles around him, and the Agumon noticed his heavy breathing. "So, he's finally wearing down. Good. He must learn that he cannot defeat every enemy he faces. Beelzemon fired at Azion, who grabbed a rock and threw it at the blaster. It got lodged in there and overloaded the blaster, making it explode and defeat Beelzemon. "However, with every foe I send his way, he knows their weakness. I guess it's time for me to step it up." From Beelzemon's defeat, another being emerged.

"I can keep going all day!" Panted Azion. "Give me your best!" However, what he found wasn't what he was expecting. It was a Dragonomon. It attacked Azion quickly, but he sidestepped the attack. Then, he hit the Dragonomon in the back, his weak spot. However, Dragonomon stayed strong and attacked again. "Wait, what? That should've taken him down!" The Dragonomon attacked with a renewed vigor, swiping at Azion and cutting his face. "Fine, I guess I'll have to try it again!" Azion again dodged the Dragonomon's attacks, and hit him again in his weak spot. The Dragonomon simply hit Azion with its tail as it began glowing. When it emerged from the glow, it was Neo Dragonomon. "Seriously?" The Neo Dragonomon attacked again, with ever stronger attacks. Azion dodged them every time, but he was running dry. "I can't keep this up forever, I need to change my tactics!" He thought. He charged at the Neo Dragonomon and hit its head, another weak spot. However, all that occurred was it glowing again and turning into Helix Dragonomon. "Again?" The Helix Dragonomon attacked yet again, and Azion was hit. He slammed into the wall hard, and fell to the floor. The Helix Dragonomon approached him, going for the kill, but Azion leapt up again and hit him in the gut, yet another supposed 'weak spot'. However, nothing happened beyond the Helix Dragonomon getting annoyed. "Oh, come on!" Azion was again hit into the wall. He slid down it to land sitting down. The Helix Dragonomon approached him again. "Okay, maybe I need to try this differently." Azion got back up, holding his arm, and went for the attack again. The Helix Dragonomon readied his own attack, only for Azion to hit him in the nose. That stunned him for a second, and Azion was able to get behind him. He quickly jumped at the Helix Dragonomon's back and started hitting every spot he could think of to take him down. However, Helix Dragonomon only got more and more annoyed and eventually slapped Azion with his tail. He was thrown up and then he fell down to the ground. Azion felt like he was on fire, and not in a good way. He slowly got back up, only to look at the Helix Dragonomon is worry.

"This is where the trial ends." Said Agumon. "Azion was unable to understand that he couldn't win with might alone." The Helix Dragonomon put its hands together and closed them into a single, unified fist. "I guess there really wasn't anything to him after all." The Helix Dragonomon swung down. "Farewell Azion, you were unworthy." The Helix Dragonomon's fists approached Azion, when they were suddenly stopped. "What?"

"I will not lose today." Said Azion. He was holding back the Helix Dragonomon's fists. "I can do this. I will not fail!" He slowly continued to get up. Then, something odd happened. The Helix Dragonomon opened its mouth and a dark smoke came out of Azion. "What the heck is that?" Agumon watched in curiosity.

"This wasn't planned." The dark smoke entered the Helix Dragonomon's body, and began to corrupt it. By absorbing Azion's darkness, it had taken the dark route to Digivolving. When the glow died down, it revealed a Vexos Dragonomon. "Oh dear! This wasn't in the plan! I need to stop this trial!" Agumon attempted to stop the trial, but was hit by the Vexos Dragonomon. He was thrown into another wall as the cage surrounding the arena broke.

"What's happening?" Asked Azion. The Vexos Dragonomon was growing to its true size instead of being scaled down to Azion's size to give him a chance. "Agumon?"

"It absorbed the darkness within you!" Said Agumon. "I'm afraid I can't stop this trial! In order for us to escape with our lives, we need to defeat that thing!" The Vexos Dragonomon roared, then launched an attack at Agumon. He jumped out of the way just in time. "What are we going to do?"

"You said at the beginning that I couldn't win this with might alone, right?" Asked Azion.

"Yes." Said Agumon. The Vexos Dragonomon fired another attack, this time at Azion. Then another at Agumon. The two dodged the attacks and landed near each other.

"I think it's time I put my brain to good use!" Said Azion. "I know his weak spots!" Azion charged at the Vexos Dragonomon.

"Wait!" Yelled Agumon. "It gets stronger the more you hit its weak spots!" Azion didn't listen and continued his charge. He struck the Vexos Dragonomon in the foot, the one weak spot he could reach. However, instead of roaring in pain, the Vexos Dragonomon roared in power. Its size increased a little and it got more powerful.

"What's going on?" Asked Azion. The Vexos Dragonomon attacked Agumon again, hitting him hard.

"The more you hit its weak spots, the more powerful it gets!" Said Agumon, in pain. "You can't beat it!"

"I can't beat it?" Asked Azion. The Vexos Dragonomon attacked again, and Agumon jumped to the side. He got hit by the shockwave of the attack.

"No, you can't! And it wants to defeat me to claim my power over this trial! It doesn't want to be erased, it wants to exist in the real world!"

"Real World?" Asked Azion. Something clicked in his head. "Maybe I can't beat that thing, but I think I know of something that can!" He grabbed his Digivice from his pocket.

"What are you planning to do?" Asked Agumon.

"This!" Said Azion. He pressed the button on his Digivice and it turned into a Fusion Loader. "Now, I just need to get closer!" The Vexos Dragonomon, wisening up to the power it had, hit itself in the foot. It roared as it got a massive power increase.

"You might want to hurry!" Said Agumon. "It's using the ability I gave it to its advantage!" Vexos Dragonomon hit itself again, and again. Azion ran up to it.

"You're going down!" He said. The Vexos Dragonomon took no notice of him. "I may not be able to beat you with might alone, but I think I can still win! Upload!" Azion held the Fusion Loader in front of him and it began to absorb the Vexos Dragonomon's data. It vanished without a trace and Azion looked at his Fusion Loader. The Vexos Dragonomon was within it, trying to get out. "I think I got it."

"Impressive." Said Agumon. He slowly got up. "Now I think I can end this trial." Agumon waved his hand, and the arena vanished. "That was a fiasco I wished had never happened."

"You and me both." Said Azion. "So, you said before that it absorbed a darkness from within me. What did you mean by that?"

"Your trial was dual pronged." Said Agumon. "The first task was to unlock your hidden power, and the other to remove the darkness that tainted you."

"Well, I think we can agree my darkness was removed." The Agumon laughed.

"Yes, I believe we can agree on that. However, the main portion of your trial, unlocking your hidden power, was failed."

"So it's only a half victory then." Said Azion.

"Yes. However, I believe you have learned a lesson that you needed to. I would say that you have passed your trial, if only barely."

"Really? That's"

"However, another trial will be waiting for you when you are freed from your next location. That Vexos Dragonomon will not remain trapped forever, as it will continue to become more powerful. You must discover a way to defeat it once and for all." The Vexos Dragonomon heard this, and stopped trying to get freed. It hit itself in its weak spots.

"I think I should thank you." Said Azion. "If it wasn't for you, I might not have learned that my arrogance had consequences." The Agumon chuckled.

"No, I should be thanking you. You gave me my lost hope of ever defeating the Destruction. For that, I give you this gift." Agumon's eyes glowed as Azion's Fusion loader did. A light came out of it and a new D-Power formed in front of Azion. It was a D-Power Ultimate. "Now, it is time for the final lesson." The entire area faded and revealed Azion in a cloud. "You and your friends are capable of many things. However, I sense a darkness will come before the light. You must be ready to oppose what lays before you and not oppose what seems to be the enemy." The Agumon began to glow.

"I'll do my best." Said Azion. "But bad habits are hard to break."

"Just as good habits are hard to form." Said Agumon. He flashed and turned into Omnimon. "You are free to gaze upon your friends as they complete their trial, however you must not intervene. Your friends Tom and Cassie have also completed their trials, and watch with you. Once all six of you have completed your trials, you will be reunited. Then, once all the others complete theirs, it will be time to do the assault." Omnimon vanished, leaving Azion is wonder. He looked at the Fusion Loader to see the Vexos Dragonomon struggling once again.

"Sorry big guy, but you aren't getting out anytime soon." Said Azion. The Vexos Dragonomon seemed to smile, then hit itself again in a weak spot. Energy flowed through it once again and its data multiplied due to how much power it had stored. The Fusion Loader began to spark. "Okay, you are not getting out yet!" Azion quickly pressed a button on his D-Power and a beam of light went between it and and Fusion Loader. It stopped sparking. "You won't escape now. We cannot interfere with their trial. Could I just ask that you try to escape later?" The Vexos Dragonomon seemed upset, but complied. However, Azion knew it wouldn't last forever. "Come on guys, hurry up!" He thought. "This guy won't stay contained forever!"

* * *

Down below, Takato thought he heard something. He looked around a little, but saw nothing. "Did you hear Azion too?" Asked Dragonomon.

"Yeah, I did." Said Takato. "So it wasn't my imagination after all."

"No, it wasn't." Agreed Dragonomon.

"You guys concerned about Azion too?" Asked Pyreon.

"Hey guys, I think we got something!" Said Henry. Guilmon was brushing away some dirt to reveal a Hazard Sign inscribed into the rock below. Guilmon sniffed it.

"It smells like bread!"

"Bread?" Asked Shun. "Really?"

"I don't know why, I just know what it smells like!" Said Guilmon. He continued sniffing around. "I think there's some kind of trail here!" He followed the scent of bread into the woods.

"Here we go again." Said Dan. He reluctantly followed Guilmon, followed by the rest of the group.

"At least we're getting closer, I think." Said Ford.

"Hey, it's better than nothing!" Said Mabel, still upbeat.

"I'm still worried about Cassie." Said Dipper.

"You and me both." Said Janthide. She had decided to stay on Dipper's shoulder for the time being.

"Think about us with Azion." Said Henry.

"I must admit, I don't know how he's doing and that is very, very worrying." Said Pyreon. He was sitting on Takato's shoulder.

"And what about Atom?" Asked Runo. "He's our oldest friend of the group and the only one who was able to truly help un in our time of need."

"Yeah!" Said Julie. "If it wasn't for him, Naga probably would've won against us and taken everything."

"I hope he's doing okay." Said Leonidas, upon Dan's other shoulder.

"I think we're all concerned about how the others are doing." Said Drago. "However, if we want to see them again, we need to push forward!"

"Then let's get going before we lose Guilmon!" Said Wendy. She broke out into a run trying to catch the red dinosaur in question.

"I smell delicious bread!" Called Guilmon, his pace increasing.

"Let's go guys!" Said Gideon. "We can't lose them!" The entire group sped up to catch them.

* * *

 _Three of the six are done, but that is no cause for celebration yet. We still have the one of Bakugan, the one of Magic and the one of Darkness. Each of them face a trial unlike any other conceived before. The next ones to go are quite possibly the most powerful but the most limited. We plan to correct that, being one of Bakugan myself and the other a being of knowledge. However, if we are to succeed, we must test them to their limits, and we don't know theirs. With time, I hope to discover it._


	10. Helping an Old Friend

**Well then, things sure have been changed a bit. The main Shifters are unlocking their hidden powers, but they're still separated. And let's not forget a little surprise that happened earlier. Enjoy this chapter!**

The powers are reuniting, returning to them one by one. However, darkness and evil don't sleep. The Destruction is working behind the scenes and it about ready to unleash his evil plot. We can only hope that our heroes are prepared.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Azion was worried. The Vexos Dragonomon he had wasn't settling down and continued to hit itself in its weak spots. Azion wasn't sure how long his Fusion Loader could hold, even boosted by his D-Power. "Come on! Will you please stop that?" In answer, the Vexos Dragonomon increased the speed at which he was hitting his weak spots. "What is it that you want?"

"Freedom." Said the Vexos Dragonomon. "I want freedom!"

"Is that really all you want?"

"It's all I want for now. After I am free, I have a want for you and for Omnimon! I will crush you both!"

"I knew there was a part two."

"And by absorbing your data, I could increase my power even more than it already is! Then my power curve will go up even faster!" The Vexos Dragonomon laughed.

"Too bad you won't have the chance." Said Azion.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, boy. So very, very wrong." Azion's cloud bumped into something and knocked him off his feet. His Fusion Loader fell through the cloud. "Freedom!" Yelled the Vexos Dragonomon.

"Crud!" Said Azion.

"Don't worry, I got it!" Said Cassie. Her little drone came out of nowhere and caught the Fusion Loader. It was brought back up to Azion. "You're welcome!"

"Cassie?" Asked Azion. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"It's half of my power." Said Cassie. "Didn't you unlock yours?" The wall separating the two vanished.

"Not quite. I wasn't able to pass half my trial, but the other half I did. And it led to this guy." Azion showed Cassie his Fusion Loader and the Vexos Dragonomon within it. "It's a Vexos Dragonomon."

"Let me take a guess, he's becoming more powerful?"

"Tom?" Asked Cassie.

"The one and only." Another cloud wall vanished, revealing Tom. "Was I right?"

"Yes, you were." Said Azion. "But how did you know?"

"Do you seriously not remember the massive fight we had against Spectra when Atom and Chronogian summoned another Shifter from another Reality?"

"Right." Said Azion. "That whole fiasco that I've tried to forget my part in starting."

"We've all made bad choices in the past." Said Cassie. "Mine was trying to unlock all the secrets of Gravity Falls that were left unanswered."

"Anyways, how powerful is he?" Asked Tom.

"Have either of you ever watched Digimon back home?" Both shook their heads. "Well, let's just say it started about as powerful as Vexos Dragonoid, and it now several times his power by the time we defeated him."

"Okay then, that's powerful." Said Tom. "Good thing I used my newfound powers to bring us together once again."

"Yeah, I was wondering why we came together." Said Cassie. She looked back to Azion. "Can I see your device for a second?"

"Sure." Said Azion. He handed her the Fusion Loader and she studied it.

"I think I can do something with it." She said. The symbol on her hand began to glow, then the Fusion Loader did. "Come on, come on." The Fusion Loader turned a dark gray, then separated into its component parts.

"No!" Said Azion. Then the Fusion Loader began to piece itself back together.

"I think I can move this there and that there." Mumbled Cassie. Her symbol stopped glowing, then the Fusion Loader stopped glowing. It returned to its original color. "That should hold him."

"What did you do?" Asked Azion.

"Well, I just modified its molecular relays and its data analysis systems. And no, I'm not entirely sure what I just said either. But, I know its effect. Unless it experiences a massive power surge, there's no chance of him escaping." The Vexos Dragonomon got to work. "And by massive, I mean more than any being can hope to possess." That didn't deter the Vexos Dragonomon.

"So, do we have any idea what's going on?" Asked Azion.

"From what I understand, we're supposed to unlock our abilities that are similar to the originals." Said Tom. "At least, that's what I think."

"I would agree." Said Cassie. "After all, that voice said the first Shifter of Gravity Falls was capable of manipulating technology to her will, and now I can do that."

"I remember the voice saying something about the first Shifter of Pokémon being able to control the elements of nature." Said Tom.

"And the first Shifter of Digimon was able to manipulate the surrounding area to benefit himself." Said Azion. "Too bad I didn't unlock my ability."

"You'll get it!" Said Cassie.

"I just hope I unlock it in time." Said Azion.

* * *

"I think I have chosen the next Reality we need to take over and destroy." Said a being. Spectra was bowed before him and Bill floated nearby. "Did you two figure out how to combine your abilities?"

"I believe so, Master." Said Spectra. "Would you like a demonstration?"

"Show me." Said the being.

"We'll need a few test subjects in order to do so. Is that agreeable?" Asked Bill.

"Done." Instantly, three negative shifters poofed into existence behind Spectra and Bill.

"Ready Cipher?" Asked Spectra.

"Let's do it!" Said Bill. Spectra placed his hands together and Bill went in front of them. Energy began to build between the two, then beamed out into the three negative shifters. Each of them went rigid and stared blankly at Spectra and Bill.

"What exactly is it that you have done?" Asked the being.

"We've taken control of their minds." Said Spectra.

"It was quite easy to do so once we figured out how to use the energy Spectra is capable of channeling." Said Bill.

"Let's put it to the test." Said the being. "The three of you, leave now." The three negative shifters didn't respond. "Leave now!" They still didn't respond. The being looked at Spectra and Bill. "Impressive. You've managed to make them out of my control. I believe you two have succeeded."

"Thank you, Master." Said Spectra.

"Now, if you would be so kind as to relinquish your control" Bill snapped his fingers.

"Done." The three negative shifters seemed to jolt a little as they regained their senses. They looked at the being, and then realized what had just transpired. They fled the room quickly.

"I believe we can use your newfound power to our extreme benefit, once we figure out where those blasted Shifters are."

"Understood, my liege." Said Spectra. "We await your orders."

"As long as your end of the bargain is completed, I don't care what I have to do!" Said Bill. "Just show us the way."

"I look forward to doing that, once we find them."

* * *

"Are we getting close?" Asked Robbie. "I'm getting tired."

"Speak for yourself!" Huffed Gideon. "I have to take five steps for every one you take!"

"Okay you two, enough fighting!" Said Mabel. "We're all tired."

"Bread!" Yelled Guilmon.

"Except him." Said Wendy. "Does he ever slow down?"

"No." Said Takato. "When he smells bread, he will chase it to the ends of time to get it." He realized what he said. "I hope I'm not being literal this time."

"Hopefully we're getting close." Said Dragonomon. "I don't relish the thought of much more walking."

"I don't think any of us do." Said Dan. Shun jumped down, startling him. "Where did you come from?"

Ignoring Dan's question, Shun began talking. "We don't have much further, only about another mile."

"Ugh." Groaned Marucho. "I'm not sure how much longer I can last."

"Don't worry Marucho!" Said Preyas. "We can make it!"

"If we couldn't then we wouldn't still be going." Agreed Renas.

"Thanks guys." Said Marucho. "But I still don't know how much longer I can go."

"Will all of you quit complaining and keep walking?" Asked Runo. "I'm getting a headache!"

"Well at least we're passing the time!" Argued Dan. A tree branch slapped him.

"Sorry, was that me?" Asked Runo.

"Get back here Runo!" Yelled Dan. He began chasing her. Ford sighed.

"Remember when we used to play like that?" He asked Stan.

"Not really." Said Stan. "We never played like that, and he's chasing her for revenge, not for a game of tag."

"It still reminds me of when we were that young. Time sure have changed."

"If you're done remembering the past, why don't you catch up?" Asked Henry. "Come on! We can't lose Guilmon!" The two looked at Henry to see that he was right, they were falling behind a lot. They quickly sped up to the group and continued walking.

* * *

Chaos fell down to the ground. He drew a card. "Fleetfeather Sandals!" The pair appeared on his feet and slowed his fall. He then flipped over and landed on his feet. "Okay, not my favorite thing ever, but effective."

"Perhaps you need to understand a great pain in order to understand your true power." Chaos began looking around.

"Okay, who said that?" A being appeared in front of him, a ghostly form of Vladitor.

"I did. And no, I am not Vladitor. I am merely using his appearance."

"Okay, so what am I here for?" Asked Chaos.

"You are here to unlock something dormant within you. Something only you can do."

"Just bring me to the trial."

"Fine. Prepare yourself for the most complicated thing you have ever seen. This will push your mind to the limits." Walls began erupting from the ground around Chaos, and he was soon enclosed. "This is your trial. You must figure out how to escape."

"Sounds easy." Said Chaos. He looked down at the walls that came up to his waist. But, as he moved, the wall he was trying to go over surged higher, blocking him. "Wait, what?" He went to another wall, only to be blocked again. "These walls are cheating!"

"No, they are not. They are giving you your trial. You are to escape, but you are in an inescapable place. That is what the walls are doing." Chaos considered his options.

"So, these walls are designed to stop me. I guess I just need to break free." He tried to draw a card, only for one to not come. "Wait, why isn't this working?"

"The deck is not your own power. You must create your own way out." Chaos's deck glowed, and vanished. "Figure your own way out."

"Really?" Asked Chaos. "Fine. Let's try this." Chaos ran as fast as he could, which was about two steps, to one of the walls. He jumped up and grabbed the top of it, only for it to become slanted. He slid off of it. "So these walls are capable of manipulating themselves to keep me trapped." He tried jumping up again, only for the wall to get even higher. He continued to try several common methods to get past a wall. The ghostly being watched him.

"Chaos is smart, but perhaps too smart. I need to refine his thinking to be more creative." Chaos began banging on the wall, trying to find a weak spot, but to no avail. "However, I doubt his ability to think differently."

"Come on, come on!" Said Chaos. "How do I escape something inescapable?" He looked down. "Maybe I can try this!" He began scooping the dirt out from under the wall, trying to get free. When it looked like he would break through, the wall suddenly slammed down, stopping him. "What?!"

"He will never get out this way." Chaos looked down at the area the wall closed off, then looked back up. Part of the top of the wall was missing. Something clicked in Chaos's head.

"The walls are finite in materials." He thought. He grabbed onto the wall. "Let me try climbing out!"

"What does he think he's doing?" The walls began to creep higher and higher, and Chaos held on tightly. As he went up, the walls went up, causing him to go up.

"I've figured out your weakness. You can't go forever!" It was true. The walls were beginning to thin.

"He may have figured out a weakness of the walls, but can he use it properly?" The walls continued to thin as Chaos held on with everything her could. Soon, the wall he was on began to wobble as it continued to lose structural integrity. "He can't defeat these walls that easily." Chaos took the chance, and punched through the wall. It was becoming flimsier and easier to break. He pushed his arm through the hole and held on. He continued to break through the wall, eventually creating a hole big enough to get through. He climbed to the other side, mostly freed.

"Okay, I got past the walls, but now I need to worry about the rest." He looked down the dizzying height. "I really didn't think this through!" He heard a crumbling sound, and dared to look back. He could see cracks running up and down the wall he was on. "Crud!" The wall broke apart and he began falling. He screamed on the way down, as the trees began to take shape once again.

"He cannot die, but he can be scarred. Let's hope he can figure out how to save himself." Chaos began fumbling in the air for something, anything to slow his fall. "However, I give him little chance of success." Chaos's body stopped responding as he faced his doom, or his perceived doom.

"So this is it." He thought. "This is how I die." He thought back to what led up to this moment, his life literally flashing before his eyes. Then he realized something. "No. I cannot die yet. This is not the end! Come on, there has to be something!" He renewed his frantic searching, to discover the one thing that could save him. "The wall. How can I use it?" He glanced back down to see the ground coming up close to him. "Here it goes!" He said. He turned around and jabbed his fingers into the wall.

"What is he" the ghostly being realized what Chaos was doing. "Smart. But not smart enough." He snapped his fingers and the walls vanished. Chaos again began falling.

"No! No no no no no!" He yelled. He covered his eyes and closed them as he anticipated splatting on the ground, but it never came. Instead, his mind seemed to be on fire. He uncovered his eyes to see the ground mere inches away from him. He looked up to see nothing holding him. But he felt a pressure on him, like something was keeping him up. He continued looking around in wonder, then realized what had happened. He had a pair of Fleetfeather Sandals on. "What's going on?" He didn't notice a symbol appear on his hand, a pentagon with five different colored points.

"I believe you can answer that."

"You mean I'm actually being held up by them? But how did they appear?"

"You summoned them using telekinetic powers."

"I remember Atom trying to teach me about those a while back. But how do I turn it off?" As he thought that, the sandals vanished and fell the last few inches, landing on his face. "Ow."

"You managed to escape, and I was surprised by that. You also managed to keep yourself from hitting the ground hard enough to become a crater by unlocking your power."

"Wait, so you mean that"

"Yes, you passed your trial. You are now capable of discovering what you need to know." The entire area flashed and was replaced by white. "I believe in you now. Your powers will be unmatched later on. For now, take a small break. When you are freed, the real battle begins." The being flashed and revealed itself to be something akin to a human. "I have no qualms about revealing my true form to you, now that you have learned of your power. However, you still need to fully unlock it to use it properly." The area flashed again, revealing to Chaos that he was within a cloud. "You are all needed, but I can sense a massive darkness within your future. Stay strong, and face it head on." The being vanished, leaving Chaos to his thoughts.

"What did he mean?" Chaos sent a cursory glance down to see everybody else down below. He saw them chasing Guilmon. "If only my trial was that easy. I wish you all luck."

* * *

Ryo looked left and right, still following Guilmon. "I thought I heard Chaos." Said Vladitor. "I wonder why."

"I heard him too." Said Ryo. "Maybe it's because we chose him?"

"Anything's possible." Said Vladitor.

* * *

"So, we've tested four of the six." Said Omnimon. "So, how should we go about the other two?"

"The one of Bakugan and the one of Darkness." Said Axolotl. "It might be difficult to determine what each needs."

"I think we should let each of the teachers decide." Said Arceus. It looked at the final two figures.

"I agree." Said the humanoid being. "I sense that something must be done."

"I think I have a solution." Said the leader. "Atom, the one of Bakugan, must be able to teach as well as learn. I believe there is one he can try to help. But as for Clate, the one of Darkness, that I don't know."

"He still faces disposition about who he is." Said the final being. "He needs to learn that his being part of the Destruction was his past, not his future. The same lesson I learned long ago when you all freed me. I have an idea for him, but it must wait until after Atom."

"Very well." Said the leader. He leaned forward into the light. "I suppose it is time for me to test him." Genesis Dragonoid, in his Blitzon form, leaned into the light. "He is smart, too smart for his own good. He uses that knowledge to predict his opponents attacks. I wonder what happens if he is thrust into a situation where he can't predict the next move." Blitzon Dragonoid vanished into the light.

"So, does anybody know what he intends?" Asked Arceus.

"If we had an idea, it would probably be wrong." Said Axolotl. "Genesis is very unpredictable."

* * *

Atom felt like he was falling, but couldn't see where to. A bright light flashed in front of him, blinding him for a second. When it died down, it seemed as if a light had flicked on. The darkness that surrounded him vanished, revealing that he was laying on the ground, not free falling. He sat up. "Where am I?"

"You are within your testing realm. One similar to when you were trialed by Chronogian."

"I know that voice." Said Atom. He turned around to see a ghostly form of Leonidas. "You can drop the disguise. I know it's you, Genesis Dragonoid." The ghostly being flashed, and revealed Genesis.

"I should've known that you wouldn't be tricked by a flimsy disguise such as that. However, I must commend you for figuring it out so quickly."

"If I couldn't figure it out, I couldn't call myself a Shifter." Genesis's stance changed slightly.

"Yes, that is true. However, it is that thinking which blocks your abilities."

"Blocks my abilities?" Asked Atom. "What do you mean?"

"You rely too heavily on what you know to win your battles. However, not every battle is predictable. You must learn how to adapt on the fly so that you may figure out a better way."

"And how exactly do I do that?" Genesis placed his hands together and then separated them. Something resembling a screen appeared between them.

"Look into the lens so that you may learn of your trial." Atom looked into it to see Garfield trying to open a dimensional gate.

"Wait, isn't that"

"Yes. It is Garfield, the same one you met all that time ago. However, he is having a bit of trouble. You see, he is attempting to figure out his Shifter abilities, but he has no base to do so. He does not have a teacher like you did, nor has he ever shifted. That is where you come in."

"You want me to teach him, don't you?"

"Not just teach him, but guide him. He is still young, and has just recently learned about who he is in his timeline."

"Okay, I think I can do that."

"However, there is another stipulation. You will have no powers there because of your origins. No Form Change, no Attributic Split, no ability to make gates, no Energy Twist. You will be powerless, except for your brawling ability."

"Powerless?" Asked Atom. "Why?"

"You rely too heavily on being a Reality Shifter to win your battles. You must learn, as I said, to adapt more quickly than you have been. Thus, you will start from the beginning, with Leonidas the same."

"But how can I bring Leo with me? In case you hadn't noticed, he's not exactly here right now."

"That is the easiest problem to be solved." Genesis's eyes glowed.

* * *

"Okay, so we got here, now what?" Asked Rika.

"Where's the bread?" Asked Guilmon. Dan looked around, then noticed another stone tablet.

"What about that thing?" He asked. Ford walked over to it and grabbed it.

"Bah. It says the same thing the other one said. Someone else needs to hold it."

"Let me try." Said Marucho. Ford handed the tablet to him and Marucho began analyzing it. He checked every side of the thing, then shook his head. "Looks like I can't figure it out either."

"Maybe this part is for Digimon only?" Suggested Henry. Marucho handed him the tablet and it flashed. "Okay, so my theory seems correct."

"What does it say?" Asked Shun.

"Yeah! Tell us already!" Said Julie.

"Come on!" Said Mabel.

"Maybe you guys should be quiet so he can read it!" Said Renamon. "Honestly, give him a chance to start before you interrupt him." Henry read over the tablet.

"So, you've found the first of three, I congratulate thee. The next path is of you, not he, so follow it to finally be free." Henry sighed. "Just as cryptic as the last one."

"It could be worse." Said Suzie.

"She's right!" Said Lopmon. "What are the symbols?"

"It shows a DNA strand and a cube." Said Henry. The tablet flashed again. "And now it shows something green and something blue."

"Green and blue?" Asked Keith. "Show me, but don't hand it to me." Henry walked over to him and tilted the tablet. "Those two symbols are Ventus and Aquos."

"Where have I heard those words before?" Asked Rika. Leonidas began glowing.

"What's happening?" Asked Dan.

"I feel like I'm being taken from here!" Said Leonidas. He vanished without a trace.

"Leonidas!" Said Drago. "Where did he go?"

"Oh boy." Said Marucho. "If Leo isn't here, Atom's going to be mad at us when he gets back."

"If we had to take a guess as to where he went, then I would say to Atom." Said Pyreon.

"Why would you say that?" Asked Runo.

"Call it a hunch."

* * *

"So, what are you doing?" Asked Atom.

"Just a few moments more." Said Genesis. A light appeared nearby, and something came out of it.

"Leo?" Asked Atom.

"Atom?" The light flew at Atom and landed on his shoulder. Leonidas took form once again.

"Now then." Said Genesis. "You two are now once again together. It is time for you to go."

"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Asked Atom. "I don't know where the Invasion Core Reality is."

"I will send you there, but you will have to return. It will take the power of you and he to do so."

"You mean Garfield?"

"Garfield?" Asked Leonidas.

"Yes. You need his help, and probably that of the Neo Battle Brawlers he has teamed up with." Genesis held out his arm. "Are you prepared to enter a world where you have no abilities?"

"I think so." Said Atom. "My goal is to teach, not do. It is to help not hurt. And then I must return with Garfield, and possibly the Neo Battle Brawlers. Do I have everything?"

"Atom, what's going on?" Asked Leo.

"Then be on your way." Said Genesis. A Realital Gate opened up next to him. "You will face your trial soon!" Atom grabbed Leonidas and ran into the gate. It closed behind him. "And may you succeed in your trial."

* * *

"We've got a big test ahead of us, Leo." Said Atom. "Are you ready?"

"How can I know if I'm ready if I don't know what's going on?"

"Let's just say that we need to help Garfield, just as he helped us in the past. He needs help learning his Shifter Abilities."

"So you're saying that"

"Yes Leo, we're going to his home Reality." A light flashed in front of them. "And we're almost there."

* * *

"Come on, come on!" Said Garfield. He was focusing on the image imparted to them by Venus. "Why isn't this working?"

"What's taking so long?" Asked Cera. "I thought you could do this."

"My mother did say you were capable." Said Zavanna.

"I know that." Said Garfield. "But it doesn't make it any easier! I don't know anything about what I'm doing! I just know that I have this ability, but I don't know how to use it." Garfield stopped trying for a second. "It would be so much easier if the guy I met in the other Dimension was here."

"Speaking of which, who is that Atom guy anyway?" Asked Aisha.

"Yeah, you haven't exactly given much information on him." Said Jayden.

"Nothing except that his partner is a Leonidas." Said Velocirex, shaking a little.

"Whoever he is, he sounds powerful from what you've said." Said Cameron. "But we still don't know much more past that." A gate opened above him.

"Cameron, you might want to move!" Said Garfield. His warning came a second too late as Cameron looked up. Atom came through the gate and landed on him. They both fell to the floor.

"What the heck?" Asked Cameron. Leonidas floated up and looked around.

"Where are we?" He asked. Jayden looked at him.

"Who are you?"

"I am Mythical Leonidas." Said Leonidas. "And you?"

"A Leonidas?" Asked Velocirex, with fear in his voice. Atom slowly got up.

"That was a hard landing."

"You're telling me." Groaned Cameron. Atom looked down, then got up quickly.

"Sorry." He said. "I didn't really have any control over where I transported to." Cameron got up too.

"It's not that big of a deal. I'll be fine!" He looked at Atom with a cursory glance. "Who are you?" Leonidas floated back to Atom's shoulder.

"Wait a second." Said Garfield. "Atom?"

"I was told you needed some help." Said Atom.

"Wait, this is Atom?" Asked Akira. She looked him over. "He doesn't seem that strong to me."

"That's where you're wrong, Akira." Said Atom.

"Wait, how did you"

"I know your name because there is a Fanfiction in my home Reality that details your story. But I don't know much more than name alone."

"If you know her name, then do you know mine?" Asked Jayden.

"You're Jayden." Said Atom. "And your partner is Velocirex. Speaking of him." Atom looked at him. "You don't need to be afraid of Leo. He's not the same one you faced long ago, at least I don't think he is."

"How did you"

"As I said, I know of all of you."

"So, why are you here?" Asked Cera. "It's not like you came here on a whim."

"I'm here because of him." Said Atom, pointing to Garfield. "I was told by someone that he needed help."

"Well, if nothing else, I do need help." Said Garfield. "And it's good to see you again."

"Same here, bud." Said Atom. "But right now, it's time for me to help you. Think of it as a return investment for when you helped me."

"Okay then." Said Garfield.

* * *

"So, if it has two sets of symbols, then what can we do with them?" Asked Keith.

"Well, if it shows both Digimon and Bakugan, does that mean we need to do both?" Asked Henry.

"That makes sense!" Said Rika.

"Any idea what's going on?" Asked Wendy.

"Nope." Said Robbie.

"Not a clue." Said Dipper.

"Why would I know?" Asked Stan.

"Okay, so if we need both Digimon and Bakugan, we should swipe the special cards Marucho made." Said Rika.

"I guess we could try." Said Henry. "But it might be dangerous. It's only been tested on Guilmon and that was when we were in a Digital World."

"Only one way to find out!" Said Terriermon.

"I guess." Said Henry.

"Rika, are you sure?" Asked Renamon.

"Let's give it a try." Said Rika. She grabbed her card as Henry grabbed his.

"DigiModify!" They said. Terriermon and Renamon got bursts of energy.

"Hopefully this works!" Said Marucho. Renamon and Terriermon began to gain size, soon towering over the trees. They began looking around as they finished their change. Renamon noticed something.

"I think I see something glowing over there." Renamon pointed at the glow she saw.

"I think I see something over there." Said Terriermon. Another glow was visible. Their change timed out and they shrank back to their normal size, still pointing.

"Great, so now we have two locations to look into." Said Henry. "Why does this have to be complicated?"

"I say we split up." Said Dan. "Half of us one way, half of us the other." Ford began counting.

"Well, I see no problem with that plan." He said. "We have 24 of us."

"But who goes where?" Asked Dragonomon.

"Half of each of us go each way." Said Marucho. "So, on each team, we should have 3 brawlers, 3 tamers and 5 others. The last tamer and Keith can decide their own way." The teams split up. Rika went with Renamon and Henry with Terriermon, for obvious reasons. Dan, Runo, Shun, Ryo, Takato, Kazu, Mabel, Robbie, Dipper, Ford and Soos went with Rika while the rest went with Henry. "We'll meet up back here, okay?"

"We got it." Said McGucket. "But I'm still not sure what the full plan is."

"None of us are sure of it Fiddleford." Said Ford. "But we're trying to figure it out."

"Well, this is goodbye for now." Said Rika. "Good luck guys."

"You too." Said Henry. The two groups, led by Renamon and Terriermon respectively, left the area, leaving it barren once again.

* * *

"I sense something new." Said the being. It delved into its mind to figure out what it felt. "It's a fresh breath of evil, a darkness uncontained. I must find it!" The being followed the path of darkness it felt, visualizing where it was. "I can see a cloud, and one very annoying Shifter. I think this new evil is exactly what I needed." The being turned to the two images it had set aside, and placed the new image with it. "Farbregian, Eldrazi, and now Vexos Dragonomon. All of you I will require." A new sense came to the being. "I can detect a new gate, and I can feel another of the Shifters. I can feel Atom's presence, and it's sickening. So much power and knowledge within one being, and it's not under my control. I need to change that. The next Reality I'm going after is Invasion Core!"

* * *

 _The fact they we're separated now makes our job that much harder! If only there was a way to speed things up a bit. But, when we get to the glowing area Renamon mentioned, we find something new entirely! I can't believe I'm about to say this, but it's like a whole new world! And then we learn of the trial we face. We need to find one kid in the entire place and get him to talk to us about his love for Bakugan. But, he's very tight lipped and doesn't want to mention it, even to his best friends. We've got our work cut out for us with this one, so let's hope it isn't too difficult or time consuming. After all, we've got everything to save!_

 ** _Follow Atom to Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Invasion Core to see what ensues. Who knows what Switch - On - 97 might do?_**


	11. Deathly Silent

**With every good turn there is one bad. Hopefully you all understand what I mean! I was bored, so I'm uploading another chapter of Destruction. Enjoy!**

With everything going on, it's a wonder everything's been quiet. Hopefully it stays that way, but hope doesn't go that far. We need to stay alert and keep active, or else everything may be lost.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

"Okay, so does anybody have any idea where the heck those Shifters went?" Asked the Commander. "Anybody?"

"Not here."

"Nope."

"Nothing." Said Syark. "They simply vanished."

"No traces of gates, no traces of them leaving the Reality, nothing." Said Claip. "We've got nothing!" Something pinged.

"Uh, sir, we just got a reading of Atom."

"Atom?" Asked the Commander. "Where?" Nothing came up.

"I'm sorry sir, but we can't get a definite reading on him." Said Syark. "We just know he's still out there somewhere."

* * *

"Are we getting any closer?" Asked Dipper.

"I don't know." Said Guilmon. "Are we?"

"Not quite yet." Said Renamon. "But just a bit further."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm thinking we're lost." Said Robbie.

"We should press on." Said Shun. "The sooner we get there, the faster we can continue."

"Easy for you to say." Said Dan.

"Dan, stop complaining." Said Runo. "We're all too tired to argue."

"I'm not!" Said Ryo.

"Do you even hear yourself sometimes?" Asked Rika. "We're all tired, and no matter how much you deny it, you are too."

"I'm thinking we need to take a break." Said Ford. "Otherwise we'll be unable to do whatever it is that we need to do."

"Yeah man, I, like, totally agree with that, but it seems that not everybody agrees." Said Soos.

"Oh stop it!" Said Mabel. "It could be worse!"

"Why did you say that?" Asked Dipper. "Murphy's law is going to kick in now!"

"Oh come on! You worry too much!"

"Dipper's right, Mabel." Said Ford. "By saying that, you've increased the chances of it getting worse by 45.98%." They heard a splash.

"Who put this river here?" Asked Guilmon.

"Point taken?" Asked Ford. Mabel sighed.

"Come on Guilmon, swim!" Said Takato. He was trying to pull Guilmon out of the water, but was having little success.

"I'm trying!" Takato fell in as well.

"Okay, everybody stop. Give me a second." Said Ford. He began thinking, figuring out how much force it would take to get the two out of the water. "Okay, grab my hand Takato." Ford reached his hand out and Takato grabbed it. "Now Guilmon, grab Takato's other hand." Guilmon did so. "Hold on tight!" Ford leaned back, then took a few steps. Takato began to rise out of the water. Then, Ford grabbed onto a tree and began to pull his hands together. Takato and Guilmon came out of the water and back onto the bank.

"Thanks." Said Takato. "But how did you do that?"

"Simple physics." Said Ford. "All I did was"

"Don't." Said Rika. "The two of them wouldn't be able to understand it."

"That's besides the point." Said Dan. "We still have this river to get over!" Dan looked back at the river, only to see a similarity to something he had seen before. "Hold on a second, why does this look familiar?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Runo. "I don't see any similarities!"

"Dan's right." Said Shun. "It's the same river we crossed when we were trying to restore the Second Shield on Neathia."

"But how can that be?" Asked Drago.

"I'm not sure." Said Dragonomon. "Let me give it a look." He closed his eyes, then his hands began to glow. "Huh, it doesn't seem to be real."

"It was real enough for me!" Said Takato, still dripping wet.

"No, it is real, but it's not actually there." Said Dragonomon. He opened his eyes and he stopped glowing. "It's there, but not."

"And that means what?" Asked Robbie. "It's still there and we can't cross it!"

"We'll find a way!" Said Mabel. Cassie's drone watched from above.

"Why are they complaining about a river?" She asked. "There isn't one there."

"You're right." Said Tom. "There really is nothing there."

"That's what we perceive, but maybe it's not what they perceive." Said Azion.

"Let me try something." Said Chaos. He envisioned something and strange goggles appeared in his hand. "Okay, this should show us what they're seeing." He put them on. "And there's a river now."

"But how can that be?" Asked Cassie.

"We're not in any Reality." Said Azion. "And it's borrowing images of what they've seen to give them a trial." The group looked back to the image.

"I have an idea!" Said Dan.

"Oh boy, this ought to be interesting." Said Runo.

"I'm going to try what I did back then!" Said Dan. He walked a bit back then charged. He began running on the water.

"Is he really that insane?" Asked Rika. "He'll sink!"

"Never doubt Dan." Said Shun. Dan continued to run across the water.

"Are you kidding me?" Asked Takato. "That's some ability!"

"Can we do that?" Asked Guilmon. Dan was almost to the other bank.

"I don't think it works that way." Said Ryo. Dan jumped up.

"There go the laws of physics." Said Ford. Dan landed on the other bank.

"Yeah! It worked!" He shouted. He turned back to the group, and didn't see a river. "Wait, what? There's no river?!"

"There's no river?" Asked Dipper. "But how is that possible?"

"It's both." Said Ford. "From this side, it looks like a river. However, from Dan's side, it doesn't."

"So how do we change it for us?" Asked Shun.

"If we get a different angle on it, it should look different." Said Ford. "Mabel, do you still have"

"Grappling Hook!" Shouted Mabel. She fired it up and was whisked into the treetops.

"Where does she hide that thing?" Asked Robbie.

"I'm not sure any of us know." Said Dipper.

"Wherever she hides it, she has it." Said Shun. He jumped up and followed her.

"So, does anybody know what's going on?" Yelled Dan.

"There's no river!" Shouted Shun.

"It's a dry river bed!" Called Mabel. Shun jumped back down and Mabel came down with her grappling hook.

"Okay, so now we know that there isn't a river." Said Ford. "Now, how do we go about seeing that?"

"Well, the being did ask us if we were Reality Shifters." Said Rika. "What if we need to change what we know and see ourselves?"

"It's worth a try." Said Ford.

"Let's do it!" Said Takato. He looked at the river again. "There is no river." He whispered. He trained his mind on that, and the river began to dry up. "It's working!" He began to walk. "There is no river." He kept that mentality as he began to run.

"It's actually working?" Asked Dipper. Takato got to the other bank.

"It worked!"

"Nice one!" Said Dan. The two high-fived. The rest set up their mentality, and walked across. The only two left were Dipper and Janthide.

"Come on Dipper, it has to work!" Said Janthide.

"I just don't know." Said Dipper. "I mean, it's there! I can't deny that."

"Come on Dipper!" Called Ford. "Just change what you know!"

"I can't." Said Dipper. "I rely on hard facts. The fact is that I see a river, so there is a river!"

"But you're a Reality Shifter." Said Janthide. "Your sense of reality changes as you change! That's what you do! So snap out of it! There are facts there that you can't see! The mystery is there, so solve it!" Dipper sighed.

"I wish I could, but there are some mysteries you just can't solve."

"So you're just giving up?" That hit Dipper. "You're giving up on the mystery?"

"Those words aren't in my dictionary." Said Dipper. "I won't give up!" The river waned a little. "I may not have all the facts, but I know that this is a test. We are Reality Shifters, and we will pass!" The river dried up and Dipper broke out into a run. He approached the other bank quickly. "That's what we need to do. We need to prove to ourselves that we are Reality Shifters!" Dipper stopped running when he got to the other bank, hand aglow. The symbol of a six fingered hand appeared on it. "I can't believe that worked." He huffed. The symbol vanished.

"Let's keep moving." Said Rika. "It can't be much further." She and Renamon kept moving.

"The sooner we do this, the better." Said Renamon.

"Okay everybody, let's go!" Said Ford. The entire group set off. Cassie's drone watched.

"I can't believe that Dipper was able to do that." Said Cassie. "He's never done it before!"

"They're all Reality Shifters." Said Azion. "It's their nature, and ours." Cassie moved her drone a little past the group and saw nothing.

"Huh, I wonder what's there. That's where the glow was." Said Tom.

"We have to wait and see." Said Chaos. They all returned to the video feed.

"Come on guys, just a bit further!" Said Rika. She pushed aside another branch and saw what looked like an alleyway. She stopped moving.

"Why did you stop" started Renamon. "Oh, I see now." A kid ran across the alley.

"Who's that?" Asked Dan. The kid stopped cold.

"Dan Kuso?" He asked.

"Yeah, how do you know me?" Asked Dan. He walked forward.

"I, uh, I mean, uh, who are you? I've never seen of you before." The kid looked at his watch. "Gotta go!" He ran off.

"What was that about?" Asked Drago.

"I don't know, but something's not adding up." Said Dan. A tablet appeared in front of him.

"Another one?" Asked Dipper. "How many are there?" Dan grabbed it and it flashed.

"Okay, does anybody know what this means?" Asked Dan. "It says 'To you who has entered this land, you must do much to understand. One kid of this place knows of you and your race. You must get his trust and make him open up, or else you are doomed to stay and decay."

"Could it be talking about that kid we just saw?" Asked Ford.

"I don't know dudes, this is all too weird for me." Said Soos. "And I'm talking about this as a survivor of Weirdmageddon."

"Whatever it is, we need to find that kid again." Said Dan. "If he knew of me, then he knows about Bakugan!" Dan started running.

"Dan! Wait!" Said Runo. Dan didn't listen and ran around the corner, trying to follow the kid. "Why doesn't he listen?"

"When does he ever listen?" Asked Shun. He followed Dan.

"Should we follow them?" Asked Kazu.

"It would probably be a good idea!" Said Guardromon. The two ran off after Dan.

"Let's go!" Said Dipper. The rest of the group ran forward and around the corner. Nobody could see Dan or the kid, not to mention Shun.

"Where did they go?" Asked Mabel.

"I'm not sure." Said Ryo. "But we're probably going to find out!"

* * *

"So, where are they?" Asked Chaos. "It looks like a city from back home."

"And then there's that strange kid they saw." Said Azion. "He seemed like he knew Dan, or at least of him." His Fusion Loader banged. "Oh, knock it off!"

"Freedom!" Seethed the Vexos Dragonomon.

"Oh, can it!" Said Tom. "You're stuck there. Accept it!" Azion's Fusion Loader banged again.

"I'm amazed at how much he's fighting." Said Cassie. "I thought he would've given up by now." The Fusion Loader sparked a little.

"You sure your modifications will hold?" Asked Azion.

"Positive. You need to stop worrying. He's contained." Cassie looked back to the screen.

* * *

Dan was running, trying to catch up with the kid. "Dan, are you sure this is the right way?" Asked Drago.

"To be honest, I'm not." Said Dan. "But, I think we need to find that kid and get some answers. He knew my name, that's gotta mean something!"

"Where are you running to, Dan?" Dan stopped and turned to see Shun.

"It's not safe to go alone." Said Skyress.

"Especially in an unfamiliar land." Agreed Teressmon.

"You guys worry too much. We need to find that kid anyways!"

"Dan, I'm not sure you understand the situation here." Said Shun. "We're lost. We don't know this place, nor do we know where the kid is." Dan turned back around.

"So? It doesn't mean we can try!" He looked around a little. "Hold on, there he is!" Shun looked where Dan was looking and saw the kid.

"You got lucky."

"Sometimes that's what it takes." Said Drago. Dan got moving again.

"Hey! You! I want to talk to you!" The kid turned quickly, saw Dan, then bolted. Surprising Shun, he was outrunning Dan.

"Leave me alone!" Said the kid. "I don't know who you are!" Shun smirked.

"Shouldn't we help him?" Asked Teressmon.

"You read my mind." Shun jumped up and began jumping from lamppost to lamppost.

"Please stop! I just want to talk to you!" Said Dan. "I know that you know who I am!"

"I've never heard of you before!" Said the kid, still pulling away. "Leave me alone! I don't know you!" Shun jumped down in front of him and he skidded to a stop. "Shun Kazami?"

"I don't think you're telling us the truth." Said Shun. Dan ran up.

"It's time to talk!" The kid looked back and forth between the two.

"I'm stuck between these two. I'm screwed!" He thought. "I can't outpace Shun, and I probably can't surprise them now. What do I do?" Thunder rolled. "Huh? There wasn't any rain in the forecast today!" Lightning struck nearby, blinding all three. The kid was the first to look again. What he saw was very surprising for him. "A Bakugan?"

"See, I knew he knew about us!" Said Dan. He looked at where the lightning struck as well. "Whoa!"

"I don't like the looks of this!" Said Shun. The Bakugan roared at them.

"I've never seen a Bakugan like that before!" Said Drago. The Bakugan attacked, whipping its tail at the kid.

"Look out!" Said Dan. He shoved the kid aside, making the attack miss both of them. The Bakugan roared again.

"This is unreal!" Said the kid. "Bakugan, invading my home. Not quite what I had in mind, but great nonetheless!"

"You think this is a good thing?" Asked Shun. "If we don't stop that thing, it's going to tear the city apart!"

"I've always wanted to see a real Bakugan!" Said the kid, not fully grasping the situation. The Bakugan charged up an attack in its mouth.

"It's going to attack again!" Said Shun.

"Not on my watch!" Said Dan. He grabbed Drago. "Bakugan, Brawl!" He threw Drago, but nothing happened. "What?"

"Why didn't it work?" Asked Drago. The Bakugan unleashed a dark beam, aimed at the kid. Shun grabbed him and jumped away.

"Why is that Bakugan only attacking him?" Asked Shun.

"I don't know." Said Skyress.

"Who are you?" Asked Shun. The kid looked at him, then looked away.

"Nobody." He said. "I'm just a nobody. Someone that can be wearing neon in a crowd and not be noticed."

"Any idea why that Bakugan is attacking you?"

"No. I don't even know what a Bakugan is." The Bakugan attacked again, this time with its fists. Shun got the kid out of the way again.

"You seemed to know a lot just a few seconds ago!" Said Dan. "What changed?"

"I, I can't say."

"Well you better start talking!" Said Shun. "I can't avoid this guy forever!"

* * *

"Does anybody have a lock on Dan and Shun?" Asked Runo. "I'm worried about them."

"Not over here." Said Takato. "And no, no luck finding the kid either."

"Nothing over here!" Called Rika.

"Nope." Said Ryo.

"I can't detect anything!" Said Ford.

"Nothing up here!" Said Mabel, holding onto her grappling hook. "Wait, what's that?" She saw a pillar of smoke nearby, a few blocks away.

"What's what?" Asked Dipper. He looked where Mabel was looking. "Okay, that's a problem!"

"Let's move!" Said Soos. "We need to fix the problem dudes!"

"Let's do it!" Said Runo. "It's time to figure out where they went!" An explosion rumbled and shook the ground.

"What was that?" Asked Kazu.

"Don't know, don't care!" Said Takato. "Let's go!" He grabbed his Pyrus card. "Digimodify!" Nothing happened. "What?"

"I don't feel anything." Said Guilmon.

"We still need to get going!" Said Robbie. "That's probably Dan and Shun!"

* * *

The Bakugan attacked again, toppling an entire building. A news helicopter floated above. "What the heck is happening?" Asked the reported. "What is this creature? Could it be related to the random acts of destruction we've been seeing recently?" The Bakugan turned its attention to the helicopter and swatted at it.

"Leave now!" Said the Bakugan. "Or you die!" The pilot quickly fled.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Asked the reporter. "We need to get closer!"

"Not on my watch!" Said the pilot. "We're out of here!" The Bakugan turned back to where Dan, Shun and the kid were, only to see nobody.

"Where did you go?" Asked the Bakugan. The three were hiding in a nearby alley. Dan turned to the kid.

"Okay, spill. Who are you? And how do you know about Bakugan?"

"I'm, uh, I'm, um"

"He's in shock, Dan." Said Shun. "Give him a second!"

"My name is Andrew." Said Andrew. "And I told you already, I don't know what Bakugan is!"

"If you didn't know what Bakugan was, then how did you know of us?" Asked Shun.

"I don't!" Said Andrew. The buildings to either side began to shake.

"I found you!" Said the Bakugan. The buildings fell over, revealing him. "Time for me to do what I came here to do!" Andrew stiffened up.

"That voice." He said. "I've heard something similar to it before."

"Andrew, you need to open up!" Said Dan. "You need to tell us what you don't want to say!"

"I, I can't." Said Andrew. "I'll never tell anyone."

"If you don't start talking, you might not live!" Argued Shun. The rest of the group ran up behind the Bakugan.

"That's one big ugly." Said Runo. "Ready Tigrerra?"

"Of course!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Runo. Tigrerra opened, but didn't transform. "What?"

"This is unprecedented." Said Tigrerra.

"The Digimon can't become Bakugan and the Bakugan can't transform." Said Rika. "We can't do anything!" The Bakugan laughed.

"It's time for you all to meet your end! The time is now to strike!" The Bakugan began charging up his strongest attack yet.

"Andrew, if you don't talk now, this entire city's going down!" Said Dan.

"It's my secret, and I don't want to share it! I would only share it with my friends, and I have none!"

"I bet if you'd open up, you'd find more friends." Said Shun. Andrew gasped. "You need to tell us!" Andrew looked down.

"I, I just can't!"

"Any final words?" Asked the Bakugan.

"But I have to."

"That's it? Very well. Prepare to be"

"Bakugan is something that I love! And I won't let this secret take its hold over me anymore!" A light flashed in front of Andrew and shot into the sky. A gigantic vortex appeared among a massive gathering of clouds.

"What's happening?" Asked Dan.

"I cannot let my silence bring the end to my home!" Said Andrew. Something began to emerge from the vortex. "I don't care if I have to reveal my secret! I will not let anybody, Bakugan, Human, Neathian, Vestal or Gundalian stop me from protecting my family!" A dragon lowered from the vortex and roared. Andrew looked up. "What the?"

"No! It can't be!" Said the Bakugan. He looked above. "It can't be Magnatron! It just can't!"

"Magnatron?" Asked Andrew. Another glow appeared in front of him and took the form and color of a Darkus Bakumeter. "This can't be. A Bakumeter?"

"I think we cracked the code." Said Shun. Andrew grabbed the Bakumeter and put it on.

"You will not harm my partner!" Said Magnatron. "Nor will you destroy anymore of this city!" A being watched from a nearby rooftop.

"So, the first has been awakened." Said the being. "That leaves one more to unlock before the major tests." The being looked at the other glowing area. "I know you will all succeed where we failed. The safety of the Realities falls to you." The first shifter vanished from the roof. "I give to you half of my power, Andrew." A spark of light appeared where the first shifter was and it flew down to Andrew. It landed in his Bakumeter. "Use it well against the coming Destruction."

"So Magnatron was the voice I've been hearing in my dreams." Said Andrew.

"Yes. I knew that there was only one way for you to open up about who you truly are." Said Magnatron. "So, I began speaking to you in your dreams. And now, because you've allowed me to come here, I will not leave your side! It's time for us to take down this bully!"

"I'm with you!" Said Andrew. A small stack of cards appeared in front of him.

"What's going on?" Asked Dan.

"I think I know why we couldn't fight here." Said Shun. "Our Bakugan literally couldn't!"

"And the Digimon faced the same distance from their power as the Bakugan!" Said Takato. "That's why the card didn't work!" Andrew grabbed the first card.

"Ability Activate!" He said. "Stardust Lancer!"

"I think it's time we take you down!" Said Magnatron. He aimed with his tail, and fired. It hit the other Bakugan.

"So, you've finally joined the fight, brother." Said the Bakugan. "I think I should tell them who I am. I am Magantron! I am the older brother, and I shall beat my younger brother!"

"Just because you're older, doesn't mean you're stronger." Said Magnatron. "Andrew, unleash the power within me!"

"You got it!" Said Andrew. "Ability Activate! Star Buster!" Magnatron's chest began to glow as the gem within it began to charge.

"Time for you to understand why a partner is much stronger than whoever compelled you to do this!" Said Magnatron. He fired the beam at his brother. Upon hitting, Magantron started to vanish.

"You will never defeat me, brother. I have the power on my side!" Those words echoed away as Magantron fully disappeared. Magnatron glowed and returned to ball form. He went straight to Andrew, and landed on his shoulder.

"He's gone, for now. But I sense that he won't be gone forever." Said Magnatron.

"What the heck just happened?" Asked Dan.

"I don't know." Said Shun. "But I'm not sure I want to." Andrew's Bakumeter lit up.

"What's going on?" Asked Ryo as he ran up. He noticed Andrew's Bakumeter. "Why is that thing glowing?"

"I don't know." Said Andrew. He looked at it, and saw half of a circle shown.

"You have been granted a power of old. This power is shared among all of you, but Andrew is the controller. You now have the info you need." The Bakumeter stopped glowing.

"What the heck does that mean?" Asked Rika. The entire area began glowing again.

"What's going on?" Asked Andrew. The entire group vanished from the city as it vanished from where they were, leaving only forest once again.

* * *

"Where did they go?" Asked Azion.

"I don't know. The drone stopped responding." Said Cassie. The image went very fuzzy and vanished. "And now the video feed is gone." The Fusion Loader banged again and sparked. Nobody noticed.

"What the heck just happened?" Asked Chaos.

"I wish I knew." Said Tom. The Fusion Loader banged again, and again.

"What the heck do you want this time, Vexos Dragonomon?" Asked Azion. He looked at the Fusion Loader, only to see Vexos Dragonomon vanishing. "What the? Cassie! What's going on?" Cassie looked at the Fusion Loader.

"What the! That shouldn't be possible!" Something laughed.

"The unparalleled power of this Digimon will be usable beyond comprehension! Thank you for giving it to me. Now then, to test its power!" The Fusion Loader flashed and the Vexos Dragonomon started getting out of it.

"This isn't supposed to happen!" Said Cassie. The Vexos Dragonomon got freed of the Fusion Loader and fell through the cloud.

"Freedom!" He yelled as he fell. "I will defeat any who stand in my way!"

"This is bad!" Said Azion. The Vexos Dragonomon landed on the ground. "I hope everybody can keep themselves safe!"

* * *

 _Dangers are abound when we approach the location Terriermon saw in the distance. However, none of us expected what we saw. A place where everything we want comes to us. Too bad it has a dark secret. And then when it started getting demolished, we faced a power unlike any we have ever seen before! It was a powerful Digimon, and it resembled Dragonomon! Keith starts saying a few things about his past and what he thinks is a way to stop it. But then, we get help from an interesting source, someone who knows more about the Digimon than the rest of us! But, that backfires whenever that Digimon is attacked in any weak spot. It just keeps getting stronger! What the heck are we supposed to do about it?_

 ** _Andrew and Magnatron are creations of SeriousGrenade. Magantron is a character I created to add more to the story. Also, later chapters are probably going to be longer than usual, so enjoy them!_**


	12. Awakening Truth

**Are you guys ready for another chapter of Destruction? Kodanova, be ready. Your OC enters this chapter! Enjoy!**

So, we've found part of our power. But still, it is not enough quite yet. A few more need to be awakened, but the Destruction is being held at bay for now. Hopefully it's distracted enough to give us the time we need.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Spectra and Bill were before the being, awaiting orders. "Spectra, I believe there is something that needs to be done." Said the being.

"And that is?" Asked Spectra.

"We need your Helios to evolve. But in order to do that, we need a suitable energy source. Do either of you have any ideas as to what we could use?"

"There's only one thing I know of that's powerful enough for that." Said Bill. "Given what I know about Bakugan, that is. It's called a Time Wish. Basically it allows for one to alter history paradox free!"

"I'm assuming it was from your home Reality." Said Spectra. "So how would we get one?"

"That is true." Said the being. "You would have to beat Globnar to obtain one."

"Glob what?" Asked Spectra.

"I'll explain it to you later, kid." Said Bill. "Anyways, it shouldn't be that hard. I destroyed Time Baby, so their defenses are probably weak. We could just waltz in there and"

"Time Baby was never destroyed." Said the being. "He is the Timeline Guardian of Gravity Falls. He was able to see your plan and sent holograms in his place. Thus, we cannot just waltz in there and take one."

"You mean Time Baby was never defeated?" Asked Bill. He turned red with anger. "I hate that overgrown flesh bag! I hate him just as much as I hate that know it all Axolotl!"

"And you will be able to take them out soon." Said the being. "Just be patient and wait for the right time."

"If I may." Said Spectra. The other two beings looked at him. "Perhaps it would be possible for me to win this Globnar. It can't be too terribly difficult." Bill started laughing.

"Are you kidding, kid? There have been so many that failed in Globnar that I can't even count them all! And you think you can just win it? Just like that?"

"Silence." Said the being. Bill and Spectra returned their attention to him. "Spectra brings up a good point. He should be capable of winning Globnar. After all, he does have the ability to copy his opponents and use them as his own. However, Bill makes a good point. Globnar is not something to be trifled with. The losers are typically destroyed, so if you fail at any point you would be gone. Are you sure you are up to the task?"

"Of course, sire. There is nothing that can hold me back from this mission."

"Very well Spectra. You may undertake this task."

"I will not fail you, sire."

"I just thought of something else that can grant the power needed, but it's riskier." Said Bill. "An Infinity Sided Die could give the outcome wanted, but it has infinite other possibilities for what can happen."

"I believe I can swing the odds in our favor." Said the being. "Change of plans, Spectra. You are to go into the Gravity Falls Reality and obtain an infinity die. Understood?"

"Yes sire."

* * *

So, what's the plan?" Asked Marucho. "I mean, we don't know what we're walking into."

"I'm not sure." Said Henry. "But whatever it is, we'll come up with it."

"It could be worse!" Said Julie. "After all, we never really had a plan in the past!"

"She's right." Said Kenta. "We've never had a plan in the past against the Devas or the D-Reaper."

"Eh, we don't need a plan. We just need these!" Said Stan, holding up his fists.

"But we had a plan to take out Bill!" Argued McGucket. "And it was a good plan!"

"Yeah, but it failed." Said Wendy. "I still get freaked out when I think about having been a banner in Bill's throne room."

"You think you get freaked out?" Asked Gideon. "Try thinking about the others that got turned into banners! You're symbol is ice, meaning you're cool even when under pressure! It was traumatizing for the rest of us!"

"Ugh, will you please stop arguing? You're giving me a headache." Said Pacifica.

"I must admit, you are quite annoying." Said Keith.

"Hold up, I think there's something up ahead." Said Lopmon. The group slowed, and Lopmon went ahead. She pushed away a few branches, revealing something not too wanted. Wendy got the idea first.

"That smell." She said. She looked through the branches. "The stupid blinding light! No way am I going back in there!"

"In where?" Asked Kenta.

"Yeah, you're not making much sense right now." Said Julie.

"It's Mabeland." Said Wendy. "It was a prison bubble that was created by Bill to keep Mabel contained. It's an evil place!"

"Why is it evil?" Asked Alice.

"It was designed to give anybody within it whatever they want. That's how it keeps them trapped. Having everything you could possibly want, right at your fingertips. Who would want to leave?" Wendy sighed. "If this is a test, then I don't want to take it." Wendy turned to leave when a barrier suddenly came up behind the group. "What the?"

"So, I'm guessing that wasn't supposed to happen." Said Kenta. Writing appeared on the barrier. Then it began to speak.

"A will of Titanium is what you seek, for otherwise your future is bleak. Fight your way through this perilous realm or become truly overwhelm. This is your test for the day, so hold your greatest wants at bay." The writing vanished, but the barrier didn't fall.

"So," started Marucho, "who's going first?" The group was silent.

"Why do we have to do this?" Asked Preyas. "I don't think I want to do this!"

"Oh, relax." Said Renas. "It could be worse."

"Yeah Preyas, he's right." Said Slight. "It could definitely be worse!"

"We should still proceed with caution." Said Alice. "There's no telling what's in there."

"Let's go!" Said Suzie. "I'm getting bored of standing here!" Henry sighed.

"Okay, let's go." He said. He and Suzie walked past the branches.

"Well, let's follow them." Said Julie. "No point is getting separated!" The group nodded in agreement and followed Henry and Suzie into Mabeland, except Wendy.

"I really, really hate this place!" She turned to the barrier. "But I guess I have no choice." She didn't notice the drone above her. Cassie and the others were watching.

"Mabeland was a horrendous place." Said Cassie. "I don't blame her for to wanting to go back in."

"But what choice do they have?" Asked Azion. "It's not like there's another path for them to take!" Chaos looked back to the screen.

"Are we sure about that? Take a look at the screen." Tom looked and noticed that Wendy was glowing.

"Uh, what's happening?" Asked Wendy. The other two looked at the screen.

"You seem to have rejected this trial." Said a voice. "Why?" Cassie recognized it immediately.

"It's Mabeland. The last place I want to be is a trap created by Bill, especially knowing that he's still alive!"

"There are two other choices, but they are far more difficult, especially since you will have no assistance."

"Whatever it is, I'll take it over Mabeland!" Said Wendy.

"Very well then. The two choices will appear before you. One of Bakugan, the other Digimon. It is from the memories of your companions, so choose wisely. But, keep in mind this; you will have no help with their memories, and as such, they don't have your help. This Mabeland was contrived from your memory. You are the only one in your group that faced it once before. Are you prepared to let your friends face it alone?" Wendy looked back at Mabeland, and thought a little. She growled.

"This isn't exactly a fair choice, you know."

"That is the point. Which do you choose?"

Wendy sighed. "If I go with my friends, I will be given the same things I was given before in Mabeland, and I'm not sure I could resist. But, if I don't go with them, then I'm betraying them. They won't have my help."

"And such is the dilemma of Shifters. Oneself or the group. Which do you choose?" Wendy looked to Mabeland again and sighed.

"I have to go with my friends. They'll never get out if I'm not there."

"And that is why you are a Shifter." Said the voice. "You are prepared to make sacrifices for the greater good. So, I grant you this gift." Wendy's hand glowed, and on it shone a six fingered hand. "Now go. Help them." The voice fell silent and Wendy turned to Mabeland.

"Here I go." She said. She ran into Mabeland, but didn't see her companions. "Hello?" She called.

"Over here!" Called Marucho. Wendy looked at one of the buildings to see Marucho inside. She ran over and opened the door.

"What were you doing in there?" She asked.

"As soon as we went in, someone, or more rather something, convinced the rest of the group to follow him. I was almost tricked too, but I remembered that you said about this place. That thing told us of a way to defeat the Destruction without fighting. But, it said we had to follow him to learn about it." Wendy gasped.

"This is bad." She said. "But that still doesn't answer the question about why you're in here."

"I pretended to be tricked, but then ran into here to hide from him. Otherwise, the rest of the group would've brought me with." Marucho looked in the direction they went. "It tricked everybody. Even the Bakugan. We're helpless here."

"Why are we helpless?" Asked Wendy.

"Because they can't break free!" Said Marucho. "When I tried to persuade them out of it, they told me they were following along just to see. They didn't realize the hold already on them! And what's worse, when I reminded them of what you said, they asked me who you were! They're going to lose their minds!" Marucho's eyes began watering.

"Whoa, whoa, easy there buddy." Said Wendy. Marucho looked at her. "I can understand the feeling, I've been where you are right now. But you know what?"

"What?"

"I've always pushed through it in the end. Now, are we going to save them or sit in our own self pity?" Marucho got up and cleared his eyes.

"We're going to save them!" He said. "But how do we do that?"

* * *

Suzie was following the being in front of them. "This is so much fun!" She said, looking around at everything Mabeland had to offer.

"She is right." Said Kenta. "This place does seem kinda cool."

"Something feels slightly off, though." Said Lopmon. "Does anybody else feel it?"

"Yeah, I feel it too." Said Terriermon. "But I wonder what's wrong."

"Where are we going anyway?" Asked McGucket. "We've been walking for, oh, why can't I remember?"

"Relax, we're almost there." Said the being.

"But why are you helping us?" Asked Julie. "I mean, not that we don't appreciate it."

"I'm helping you because I can. That's the entire thing behind Mabeland!"

"Well, whatever your reason, I'm glad that we finally have some help." Said Alice. The being smiled mischievously.

"Alice, I don't think we should listen to him." Whispered Hydranoid.

"I know, but if he can deliver, why not at least look?" Whispered Alice.

"When we first entered, I thought the light was blinding." Said Pacifica. "But now, it seems to have dimmed. And this place is interesting, to say the least."

"Yeah, it's a child's dream." Said Gideon. "But why do I feel something off?"

"I'm feeling jumpy." Said Preyas. "And where's Marucho?"

"Who?" Asked Kenta.

"I still don't like this place." Said Stand. "It's too bright."

"Why did he forget Marucho?" Wondered Preyas. "It's like this place is changing us!"

"You look worried, Preyas." Said Renas. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Said Slight. "Relax a little. Everything is fine!"

"If that's true, then where's Marucho?"

"Who's Marucho?" Asked Slight.

"See! I knew something was wrong!" Said Preyas. "I'm going to go find Marucho! He'll know how to save you all!" Preyas began floating off when he was suddenly blocked off. The barrier preventing him from moving extended around the others, blocking them in.

"Hey! What gives?" Asked Kenta.

"I knew this place was evil!" Said Stan. He punched the barrier and to grab his hand in pain. "What's that thing made of?"

"Solidified rainbows." Said the being. "Now, as for all of you. The true reason I was taking you was because I am going to give all of you your deepest desires. That is the spirit of Mabeland, to give people what they want before they want it!"

"Yeah right." Said Julie. "As if you could actually give us what we want!" Wendy and Marucho peeked around a corner to see this transpire.

"Oh no! They're caught." Said Wendy.

"What do we do?" Asked Marucho.

"I don't know." Said Wendy.

"Go ahead and try us." Said Henry. "I doubt you'll be able to give even one of us what we"

"A puppy!" Said Suzie. There was indeed a puppy on her, licking her face.

"My goal is to give you all things that are irresistible." Said the being. "And one of you is already done. Now, as for the rest."

"We need to make our move." Said Wendy. She stepped around the corner. "Hey! You! I got a few words for you!" The being looked at her, then appeared right before her.

"If you've got something to say, then say it." Said the being. Something honked behind her. "Or would you rather hang out with them?" Wendy looked back to see the group.

"Come on Wendy! Let's go blow up the school again!"

"And stick two plungers on the principal's head!" Wendy looked back and forth between the two, her 'friends' and the being. Marucho continued to watch.

"Oh man. This is bad!" He thought. "At this rate, I'll be the only one left, and then it's only a matter of time before I'm caught up in it too!" Wendy sighed, then steeled her resolve. She looked at the being.

"If you think I'm going to fall for that trick again, you're dead wrong!" She tackled the being, and the group behind her vanished.

"You shouldn't have done that." Said the being. "Guards, seize her!" Two giant waffles with arms appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Wendy. Marucho gasped as everybody else watched on. "Take her to the highest point, lock the door and recycle the key!"

"Yes sir. Taking her to Her room." The two waffles began walking Wendy away.

"No!" Said Wendy. "I will not go quietly!" She broke one hand free and punched the face out of one of the waffles. Then, she turned to the other one and punched it too. She ran at the being, but then froze in place.

"Time for me to make my deepest desire come true." He said. "Mine is to make your companions in their prison to turn against you and ally with me!" A soft glow overcame everybody excluding Marucho and Wendy.

"No!" Shouted Wendy. The glow faded, and the barrier fell. Everybody within it looked at the being.

"What should we do with her?" Asked Henry.

"Destroy her." Said the being. "She has no place in Mabeland."

"On it." Said Terriermon. He ran at her and slapped her with his ears by turning in the air.

"Guys, stop! It's me!" Said Wendy.

"Me who?" Asked Kenta. MarineAngemon blew some heart shaped bubbles at Wendy, catching her in one. Wendy grabbed a weapon she always had on her, a hunting knife.

"You guys might think you have the upper hand, but my friends know that I'm part of a family that lives to survive in the wild!" Wendy popped the bubbled using the knife, and charged. Preyas watched.

"Oh man! This isn't good! Wendy can't hold off everybody!" Then he thought of something. "Wait, why wasn't I affected?" He noticed Marucho. Knowing that being quiet was a good thing, he slowly floated over to him. Marucho looked at him.

"Preyas! I'm so glad to see you again!" Said Marucho.

"Same here, Marucho buddy! But we've got bigger problems to worry about! Wendy won't be able to hold her own forever!"

"I know, but I don't know what I can do to help." A roar resounded around the entire place.

"What was that?" Asked Keith.

"I don't know." Said the being. Another roar sounded, and a building toppled. Some creatures flowed out of it, trying to get away.

"Freedom!" Said the thing that toppled the building. "Freedom to do what I want!" Another building toppled, revealing Vexos Dragonomon.

"What is that thing?" Asked Wendy.

"It looks like a Bakugan!" Said Alice.

"Then let's stop that thing before it wrecks all of Mabeland!" Said Alice. "Bakugan, Brawl! Hydranoid, Stand!"

"As you call!" Said Hydranoid.

"Ability Activate! Trident of Doom!" Hydranoid fired at the Vexos Dragonomon, but his attack did nothing.

"What?" Asked Hydranoid. Vexos Dragonomon punched him, sending him flying into another building. He crashed to the ground.

"Hydranoid!"

"That power!" Said Julie. She turned to face Vexos Dragonomon. "Big meanie! Bakugan, Brawl! Gorem, Stand!" Gorem rose to an equal height and prepared his hammer.

"You're not going to like this!" He said.

"Ability Activate!" Said Julie. "Grand Impact!" Gorem launched his hammer at Vexos Dragonomon, but he caught it with ease.

"But how?" Asked Gorem. Vexos Dragonomon threw the hammer back at twice the original power, slamming Gorem into Hydranoid. Both returned to ball form.

"No!" Yelled the being. "You are ruining my plans! Be gone!" The being willed for Vexos Dragonomon to vanish, but nothing happened. "Why isn't Mabeland responding to my wishes?"

"More power!" Yelled Vexos Dragonomon. It hit itself in the chest and roared. Its size went up a bit.

"Why does it look familiar?" Asked Keith. Marucho ran into the open.

"I don't know much about this place, but I don't think it take that guy rampaging!" He said. "You need to release them so that we can come up with a plan!"

"Never!" Said the being. "I will never break my control over" he got squished by Vexos Dragonomon. When he lifted his foot, all that was left was black smoke. The spell left everybody.

"What just happened?" Asked Henry.

"And where did the puppy go?" Asked Suzie.

"It was never real." Said Lopmon. "We've been tricked!"

"And now we have that guy up there!" Said Wendy. The group looked up to see Vexos Dragonomon.

"When did he get here?" Asked Kenta.

"You know him?" Asked Julie.

"Yeah. It's a long story, but basically Vexos Dragonomon is the opposite of Fusion Dragonomon. An evil version." Something clicked in Keith's head.

"An evil version." He said. "All too similar to Drago when I had him all that time ago."

"You can't mean" started Julie.

"Yes. Vexos Dragonoid." Said Keith. "I remember it all too well, and that thing is just awakening memories that should've stayed buried!"

"Let's show him what we've got!" Said Helios.

"Hold on!" Said Marucho. "We can't fight him, not with Bakugan!"

"Why not?" Asked Helios.

"If you recall, Bakugan and Digimon can't fight one another." Said Renas. "I'm the only one here capable of fighting both." Helios growled.

"Are you saying that I am incapable? Are you!?" He turned to Keith. "Let's prove them wrong!" Gideon noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"Who's that?" He asked. The group looked to see someone running up to Vexos Dragonomon.

"I'll show you to invade!" She said. She approached Vexos Dragonomon. "All I need to do is hit the exact spot!" Cassie's drone watched.

"No no no!" Said Azion. "If she hits him is a weak spot, he'll just get more powerful!"

"More powerful?" Asked Cassie. "What do you mean?"

"In my trial, every time I hit him in a weak spot, he grew more powerful. And she's going to make the same mistake I did!" The girl hit Vexos Dragonomon in the foot, but nothing happened.

"What?" She asked. "But that's not possible! He should've toppled from that!" The Vexos Dragonomon roared again. "I guess I'll have to work harder to protect this home of mine!"

"Home?" Asked Wendy. "Who could live in this place?"

"Whoever she is, she better move!" Said Marucho. He grabbed Renas. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Aquos Renas!" Renas rose up, ready for battle.

"Time for me to finish you!" He said. "Diamond Rain!" Small projectiles flew at Vexos Dragonomon, and a few hit him in the chest, a weak spot. He roared again.

"This isn't working!" Said Marucho.

"No duh!" Said Henry. He looked at Terriermon.

"Hey! Who are you to fire like that?" Asked the girl.

"You ready for this? We haven't done it in a while."

"Always ready!" Said Terriermon. Henry gripped his D-Power.

"Alright!" He said. His Digivice glowed as the Biomerge began. He and Terriermon combined into MegaGargomon and they stood as tall as Vexos Dragonomon.

"A Bio-Merge?" Asked the girl.

"Let's do this!"

"Ready!" Said Terriermon. Their weapon ports opened up, and began firing. Large amounts of dust kicked up. When it settled, Vexos Dragonomon was larger. He roared again.

"More power! I want more!"

"This is all too similar to that time." Said Keith. "And now, because of what I am these days, I know what it was that I did. And there is only one thing that I know stopped me." He grabbed a yellow card from his pocket, one that Atom dropped when he vanished for his trial. "This card was one of the few things capable of harming Drago and Leo when I had them. It's time for it to be used again." He went up to Marucho. "Marucho, I think you need to use this card."

"What card?" Asked Marucho. Keith handed him the Unitris Ability. "Wait, an Unitris Ability? Can't these only be used when a Forbidden Card is in play?" Vexos Dragonomon roared again.

"More power!" Yelled Vexos Dragonomon. "Dianos Cocos!" Purple chains wrapped around him, and were absorbed. He grew slightly larger.

"I guess that's close enough." Said Marucho. The girl looked at the beings fighting.

"I know that he will fall if I hit him in the right spot! Everybody has a weak point!" The girl dashed in again.

"Don't do it!" Yelled Julie. The girl hit Dragonomon in the foot again, sending more power through him. She stood there stunned.

"Why isn't this working?" Vexos Dragonomon raised his foot.

"Get out of there!" Yelled Keith. The girl didn't move.

"DigiAbility Activate!" Yelled Marucho. "Unitris Trap!" Renas generated a small cage in his hand.

"Take this!" He yelled. He threw the cage at Vexos Dragonomon and it grew to his size. It slammed down around him. Vexos Dragonomon grabbed the bars and began shaking them, to no effect. The girl was just on the edge of the cage, eyes wide. She was breathing heavily. Alice noticed her and ran over.

"You've got to move!" She yelled. "Go! Get away from him!" The girl looked at her, then slowly got up. Instead of running away from Vexos Dragonomon, she ran towards him.

"What are you doing?" Asked McGucket. "Even I'm not insane enough to go after him!"

"We can't even help!" Said Gideon. "I feel less than useless." The cage vibrated.

"I'll topple you!" Yelled the girl. She hit Vexos Dragonomon in the foot again, only to make him more powerful.

"More." He said. "More!" He grabbed the cage and his eyes began to glow. "I will have my freedom!" He began shaking the bars again, and they began to warp and bend. Then, they broke. Marucho took a step back in fear.

"This, this can't be!" He said. Vexos Dragonomon hit Renas, sending her backwards, defeated. Then he turned his attention to MegaGargomon, hitting them and separating them. Henry hit the ground first, then Terriermon landed on him.

"He's too powerful!" Said Terriermon.

"There has to be a weak spot!" Yelled the girl.

"Okay, that's enough!" Said Keith. He ran towards her and grabbed her.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Stopping you." Said Keith. "The more you hit his weak spots, the stronger he gets!" The girl gasped.

"That's not possible! You're lying!"

"If you don't get out of there, you're going to be attacked!" Warned Alice.

"Let go of me!" Said the girl. Wendy ran up.

"No, it's time for you to stop!" She said. She began pulling the girl away.

"You're lying! He can't be getting stronger from me hitting his weak spots! It's just not possible!" She continued thrashing as Wendy dragged her away. Keith looked up to see Vexos Dragonomon about to stomp on him. He jumped out of the way at the last second, barely getting away.

"This is insanity! Now I know what Atom felt like when I had Drago and Leo!"

"I think we need to step it up a bit!" Said Wendy. "I can't keep her held down forever!" Wendy had her in a headlock, but she was trying to slip out. Cassie's drone watched from above.

"They've got some serious problems!" Said Azion. "There's nothing they can do against that thing!"

"They'll think of something." Said Chaos. "They always have in the past."

"Well they better do it quick!" Said Tom.

"So, this is where you all are hiding out, eh?" Asked something. The four present looked back to see a being cloaked in shadow. "I suppose I must thank you for leading me to something of this power. For that, I shall spare your lives. However, your friends are doomed."

"Hey, who are you?" Asked Cassie.

"Me?" Asked the being. "I'll spare you my life story. Just know this: I'm the last thing you want to ever meet."

"The Destruction." Said Azion.

"Quite right. And now, I'll be taking the prize you created." The being vanished, leaving them alone. Cassie looked back at the screen fearfully. The being materialized in front of everybody else.

"Who are you?" Asked Marucho.

"It's him!" Said Keith. "The one who forced me to be Spectra!"

"Indeed." Said the Destruction. "Now, I'll take my prize." He looked at the Vexos Dragonomon. "I summon thee to assist me! You will gain power unrivaled, and defeat those who tried to seal you away!" The Vexos Dragonomon looked at him.

"What must I do for Freedom?"

"Join me in destroying all Realities!" The Vexos Dragonomon roared.

"Freedom!" He yelled. He grabbed the Destruction. "Do it! Do it now!"

"Very well." The Destruction snapped his fingers, and the two vanished. Everybody watched it happen. The girl gasped.

"What the heck just happened?" Everybody looked at her as Wendy let her go.

"Well, I think these two are probably best to explain it." Said Keith, signifying Henry and Kenta.

"To be honest, I don't really know." Said Henry. "But I do know this. You were being incredibly foolish!"

"How so?" Asked the girl.

"Every time you hit him in a 'weak spot'," started Kenta, "he got more powerful! You should've stopped when we told you to!"

"I don't listen to others." Said the girl.

"Well, maybe it's time for you too!" Said Suzie. "I'm Suzie! Who are you?"

"Cindy." Said Cindy. She sighed. "Why am I doing this again?"

"To get you to open up a little!" Said Suzie.

"I lost that ability months ago." Said Cindy. "It was the only way to keep Mabeland from taking me."

"How long have you been here?" Asked Wendy.

"I've been here for about two years."

"Two years?" Asked Wendy. "We didn't even last an hour before we were entrapped!"

"By cutting yourself off from everybody, it is possible to hide your innermost desires." Said Cindy.

"So, how did you get here?" Asked Julie.

"I was walking home one day when I saw a strange, white stone on the ground. I picked it up and it turned red. Then I was transported here." She sighed. "I miss my family." Someone watched from nearby.

"I believe you have done enough, Cindy." Said the second shifter. "I give you half of my power. Use it wisely." An orb appeared in front of the second Shifter, slowly growing and gaining power. "May you have success where I failed in this mission. The more you open up, the more power you will unlock." The orb compressed into a tiny space, then flew off towards Cindy. It entered her chest. "May you find the key hidden within." The second Shifter looked in the distance. "Three remain. May you all unlock your powers." Something shook in Cindy's pocket.

"What's the stone doing now?" She asked. She took it out of her pocket to see gold lines appear on it. It shook again, then opened.

"Where am I?" Asked the tiny being. Cindy yelped.

"What the? A talking rock!" The tiny being looked around.

"Who are all of you? My memory is so foggy, I can't remember anything. The only thing I know is my name, Magnaliger."

"Yet another Bakugan we've never heard of." Said Keith.

"What's a Bakugan?" Asked Cindy. Magnaliger glowed, and then Cindy's wrist did. A Pyrus Bakumeter appeared on it. "And what's this?"

"It seems that there's more to this story than we thought." Said Henry. A Digi-Port opened above Cindy, and something fell on her.

"What the heck is it now?" She asked.

"I don't know." Said the being that just fell on her. It looked like a smaller version of a crocodile. "Who are you? Why am I here?"

"Who are you?" Asked Kenta.

"Crocolomon." Said Crocolomon. "And I'm not sure why I'm here, but something's happening." Cindy's pocket glowed, and she pulled out a diamond shaped D-Power and a card, showing a Pyrus symbol.

"What are these?" Asked Cindy.

"It's a D-Power and a Pyrus card." Said Henry. "Crocolomon must be able to change into a Pyrus Bakugan!" The area began to glow.

"What's going on?" Asked Stan.

"I wish I knew!" Said McGucket.

"This light is even worse than Mabeland's!" Said Pacifica. All of them vanished, then Mabeland did. Cassie's drone was all that was left.

"They vanished, just like the others." Said Azion. "But why?"

"Who knows?" Asked Cassie. She directed the drone to fly up, then noticed something. "Hold on, what's that?" She angled the drone to see three more glowing points.

"Looks like their trials are far from over." Said Chaos. "Let's hope they're up to the task."

* * *

 _Okay, so we've reappeared where we started. And if that wasn't weird enough, each group brought an additional person with them, and they don't seem to like each other. They might have a history together, but I certainly hope not! But then a voice shows us their past, and gives an ultimatum. Either they get along, or everything is destroyed. We have to repair a friendship!_


	13. Festering Friendship - The Grand Reunion

**Whew. Longest chapter to date! Let's see who predicted their abilities and how they respond to each other. Who guessed right? Who guessed at all? Read and find out, good readers. And take your pick at the end! Enjoy!**

Two complete, but now the rest. New powers are aligning, and they will link up with those who have Omega genes. All we can do now is wait, wait while everything continues on.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Spectra walked into a room, pushing open the secret door. "According to Bill, there should be an Infinity Die somewhere in here." Spectra looked around. "I can't see anything." Viper Helios began to glow. "That's somewhat better, I think. Still can barely see anything." Spectra walked into the room. "Where is it?" He shuffled around a few things, then noticed a faint glowing. He went over to it and slid open the cabinet to find an Infinity Die inside. "I guess that makes my mission that much easier." The door opened.

"Halt!" Said the person in the door. Spectra looked at him. "What are you doing in here? It's off limits to everybody!" Sheriff Blubs was in the doorway.

"And what are you doing here, Sheriff Blubs?" Asked Spectra.

"I was following you! You seemed to be up to no good, and my suspicion was correct! Hands in the air!" Spectra smiled.

"How about I summon Bill instead?"

"B-Bill?" Stammered Blubs. He regained his composure. "Is accordance to the Never Mind All That act, you are hereby under arrest!" He readied his Taser.

"Sorry, but you can't arrest me." Said Spectra. "Unless, of course, you plan on capturing me." He placed his Gauntlet on his arm discreetly.

"I don't care who you are." Said Blubs. "You're under arrest!" Spectra swung his arm forward, nearly slicing Blubs's nose.

"I beg to differ." Smirked Spectra. He thought of something. "Do you know Cassie?"

"Cassie?" Asked Blubs. "Why, she's one of the town heroes! Right alongside the Pines family!"

"I am the same kind of being as her. Don't trifle with me." Spectra ejected the blade card from his Gauntlet. "I'll spare your life this time, but this Reality is doomed!" Spectra vanished, with the die.

"I better go tell Mayor Cutebiker about this!" Blubs ran off, but not before closing the door and locking it.

* * *

"Has anybody had any readings on the other five Shifters?" Asked the Commander.

"No, sir." Said Syark. "I'm afraid they just don't exist anymore."

"But how can that be?" Asked the Commander.

"I have a theory." Said Claip. "But, it's very ambiguous."

"Well, spill it." Said the Commander. "If we can't find them, everything is doomed!"

"Well, I was reading more into the ancient text. Minor note, it talks about everything the first five did to stop the Destruction. Anyways, it said something about five trials, and after each trial they gained more power. It also said that they were unfindable during their trials."

"Unfindable?" Asked the Commander. "What were these trials?"

"For the fifth Shifter, she had to figure out how to use her own knowledge above others. For the fourth, he had to use moves against the user, and repurpose them. The third faced a very difficult trial, having to defeat an unbeatable enemy and remove the darkness that tainted his heart. The second had to escape the inescapable, and then survive falling somewhere along the lines of two hundred feet. The first shifter had the most difficult of all. He had to help someone in another Reality learn of their Shifter abilities, then recruit him to help fight the Destruction." Something pinged.

"We've got a definite reading on Atom!" Said Syark.

"Maybe your theory isn't too far out there." Said the Commander. "Syark, where is he?"

"He is in the Invasion Core Reality, one of the major Bakugan offshoots."

"Who is he communicating with?" Asked Claip.

"One Garfield Quinn." Said someone. "Running a scan now." The screen pulled up an image of the Reality, then placed an image of Garfield over it. "It appears that he does possess a Realital Gene, but it is an uncatalogued one."

"A Negative Gene?" Asked Claip.

"No, it's not a Negative Gene." Said Syark. "It shares many of the traits to an Alpha Gene, but less complex."

"For now, let's call it the Beta Gene." Said the Commander. "At least, until we know more about it." An alarm went off.

"Sir, we're detecting something approaching Invasion Core!" Another image appeared on screen, showing a large mass approaching the Reality.

"Time to intercept?" Asked the Commander.

"According to these readings, it is about a week out." Said Syark.

"Let's hope things don't go south, then." Said the Commander.

* * *

Rika's group appeared back at the fountain. "Whoa!" Said Dan. "What just happened?"

"I don't know." Said Ford. He pulled out a notebook. "Something to investigate later."

"So, what's the plan now?" Asked Takato.

"I'm not sure." Said Rika.

"I'll look around a little." Said Renamon. She jumped away.

"I'll head out too." Said Shun. He jumped away.

"So, does anybody have any idea what Andrew here has to do with all of this?" Asked Runo. Everybody looked at him and Magnatron.

"Hey! Don't look at us! We're just as confused as you are!" Said Andrew.

"And I know even less than he does!" Said Magnatron. "Don't be looking at us for info!" Ryo sighed.

"Jeez, all we did was ask a question." Renamon came back.

"I wasn't able to detect anything." She said. Shun jumped down next to her.

"All clear."

"Man, this is quite the mystery." Said Dipper.

"Nothing we can't solve!" Said Mabel.

"I'm not sure if I want to argue, but I'm wondering why were back here." Said Robbie. Everybody took notice of the fountain.

"Aw man!" Said Kazu. "Back where we started?"

"It could be worse." Said Guardromon.

"Yes, it definitely could be." Said Drago. The area began glowing again.

"What's going on?" Asked Pyreon.

"All this glowing is making me blind!" Said Janthide. Henry's group appeared.

"What's going on?" Asked Henry. He saw the rest of the group. "Huh?"

"We're back together?" Asked Marucho. "Strange."

"It sure is!" Said McGucket. Andrew noticed someone in Henry's group.

"Cindy." He said. "Where have you been?"

"Andrew?" Asked Cindy. She looked at him. "You of all people should know that I disappeared two years ago. But did you ever try to find me? No! You're one who encouraged me to pick up the rock in the first place!"

"Hey! I'm not a rock!" Complained Magnaliger.

"Magnaliger?" Asked Magnatron. "Is that really you?"

"Magnatron?" Asked Magnaliger. "Hmph. About time you appeared. Were you waiting for enough energy to build up to create your little vortex?"

"Hey! It's not like you were any better! You were frozen in time until words of truth could unfreeze you!" Everybody began looking back and forth between the two pairs.

"Am I missing something here?" Asked Takato.

"Was that Takato Matsuki I heard?" Asked Cindy. She looked at him. "I'm surprised at meeting you." She held out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Uh, what?" Asked Takato. "Uh, sure, I guess." He shook her hand.

"Okay, so what's the beef between you two?" Asked Wendy, mentioning the elephant in the room.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Said Andrew.

"It's all in the past." Said Cindy. "Nothing can be done about it."

"Not buying." Said Wendy. "Tell us what it is that you're hiding!"

"Even without telepathic powers, I can tell that there's a lot of anger between you two." Said Gideon.

"Either you two start talking, or I'll let my fists do the talking. I did not go through Mabeland just for you to break up the group!" Said Wendy.

"You guys faced Mabeland?" Asked Mabel.

"Horrid place." Said Dipper. "You guys okay? You're not still corrupted by it or anything?"

"I miss the puppy." Said Suzie. Henry gave a small chuckle.

"We were tricked, but we pulled through, thanks to those two." He pointed to Wendy and Marucho. "If it wasn't for them, we'd still be under Mabeland's control."

"Impressive." Said Soos.

"More like amazing!" Said Mabel. "The only other person I know capable of withstanding Mabeland is Dipper! Even Cassie wasn't fully immune!"

"Nice one buddy!" Said Dan. Marucho laughed.

"No big deal!" He said.

"Uh, yes it was." Said Preyas. "Mabeland even had Renas and Slight wrapped up in it!"

"At one point, we even forgot who you were." Said Renas. "Now that I say it, I realize how foolish we were."

"Don't feel bad." Said Wendy. "My first time through broke me too." Andrew and Cindy were walking away from each other.

"Fine! You want to be like that, then leave!" Said Andrew.

"No, that's how you're acting! You leave!" Said Cindy. They had been arguing while everybody caught up.

"Come on guys! Don't be like that!" Said Magnatron.

"Come on! Can't we get along?" Asked Magnaliger.

"No!" Said Andrew and Cindy. Dan got in front of Andrew and Takato in front of Cindy.

"What is your problem?" Asked Dan.

"You two need to sort this out now!" Said Takato.

"It's not my fault my only friend doesn't want to make up." Said Cindy. "He's the hard head!"

"No, you are! You were always trying to make me watch Digimon even though I told you about my love for Bakugan!"

"It's not my fault you can't see which one is the superior show."

"No, you can't!"

"I said it first, you can't say it back."

"Yes I can!"

"No, you can't."

"Can!"

"Can't!"

"Can!"

"Can't!"

"Will you two please be quiet!?" Yelled Runo. Both of them looked at her. "Either you two sort this out now, or go away!" They two looked at each other, then turned away.

"If she won't respect my interests, then I don't want anything to do with her."

"As if!" Said Cindy. "You're the one who said that I was delusional for thinking Digimon was great! And also, another thing, you were the one who encouraged me to pick up the rock!"

"Again, not a rock!" Said Magnaliger.

"You're the one who wouldn't accept the fact that I didn't like Digimon!"

"And you're the one who always pushed for me to watch Bakugan. I don't even know what it is!"

"You're the one who left me two years ago!" That silenced Cindy. "My only friend, gone. And now that I see you again, all you do is stir up more arguments!"

"Yet it was still you who had me pick up the rock, it was still your idea. As far as I'm concerned, it was your fault!"

"That's it, I'm leaving!" Said Andrew. "I don't want to hear any more of your nonsense!"

"Oh no! You're not getting the last word!" Andrew walked past Dan. "That's it! I'm going away too, now!" She walked past Takato. They were stopped by Shun and Rika respectively.

"You're not going anywhere." Said Rika.

"Neither of you." Said Shun.

"Just leave me alone!" Said Andrew. He tried to get past Shun, who grabbed him. "What do you think you're doing?"  
"I'm out of here!" Said Cindy. She tried to get past Rika, only to be grabbed by Renamon. "Let go of me!"

"No." Said Renamon. "Like it or not, you two are with us now."

"Accept each other for who you are, or don't. I don't care." Said Shun. "But, you will remain nice to each other. No more running away from this!"

"I said" started Andrew. His eyes started glowing golden.

"Leave me" continued Cindy. Her eyes glowed crimson.

"Alone!" They finished. Shun, Renamon and Rika were blown back by their sudden outburst. Energy flowed out of them, creating a wind that battered everybody. Dan tried to step forward.

"Calm down! Please!"

"I'm leaving!" Said Andrew. "I don't want to be with her! Not after this!" His eyes dimmed.

"I'm out!" Said Cindy. Her eyes dimmed as well. The energy suddenly stopped, and Dan fell forward. Andrew and Cindy began to walk away again.

"I didn't want to do this, but you guys leave us no choice." Said Dan. "You guys ready?"

"Let's do it." Said Julie.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said the Brawlers. "Bakugan, Stand!" Drago, Preyas, Tigrerra, Gorem, Skyress, Hydranoid, Renas and Slight stood.

"Takato, throw me in! Please!" Said Pyreon.

"We need to help them!" Said Vladitor.

"We can't let them get away!" Said Janthide.

"Uh, okay." Said Takato. "How do I do this?"

"I'm not even sure where to begin." Said Ryo.

"Any clues?" Asked Dipper. "I got nothing." The eight Bakugan already out surrounded Andrew and Cindy.

"I'm trying to get away from her!" Said Andrew. "Leave us alone!"

"No." Said Drago, flatly. "You're staying here."

"What are these beings?" Asked Cindy. "They're huge!"

"We're Bakugan." Said Slight. "But, I'm guessing you didn't know that, considering what has been said."

"Whatever. I'm out of here." Said Cindy.

"Not so fast!" Said Skyress. She descended to her and grabbed her.

"Let me go!" Drago grabbed Andrew.

"Let go of me, Drago! Don't make me hit a weak spot on you!"

"Your hands are trapped, how could you even OW!" Andrew kicked one of Drago's fingers, hitting a weak spot. "Okay, a lot more resourceful than I thought. But, you still aren't going anywhere."

"Let go of me! I don't want to be within 500 miles of her!"

"Andrew, you think that's enough for me to get away from you? I'd need about 750 miles!"

"Enough of this!" Said Skyress. "You two need to figure out how to get along!"

"Quite right." Said a voice. Everybody began looking around. "Andrew and Cindy, you two seem to have a bit of a problem between the two of you. I believe it's time for you guys to understand your past for what it really is." The area flashed, blinding everybody. When it dimmed, everybody could see an image. It was Andrew and Cindy, playing.

"What is this?" Asked Dan.

"This is the past, where Andrew and Cindy were together all the time. Not even their parents could separate them." Their parents tried to take them home, but they wiggled out and went back to each other's side.

"Sounds like us when we were younger." Said Shun.

"Yeah, it does." Said Dan.

"However, as they got older, their interests diverged. Andrew went towards Bakugan, but kept it secret from all he talked to. Cindy went to Digimon, unsilenced by all. When they converged on their interests, they clashed. Andrew was always quiet about his love for Bakugan, never being forceful about it. Cindy, having lived her life expressing it, drove into him forcefully about it, trying to force him to watch it. As such, Andrew began to push back, going against his nature. It reached its peak during one of their biggest arguments." The image changed. "What you see now is their final argument. Just as it reached its peak, something happened." The image moved, like a movie, with no sound. Then, something fell between them. They both jumped back.

"Was that me?" Asked Magnaliger.

"Indeed. You fell between them during their biggest argument. Andrew encouraged Cindy to pick you up, and she eventually relented. When she did, her spirit, true to the bone, began to unfreeze Magnaliger from his prison. Unfortunately, this sucked her into a Realital Gate due to his power. Andrew tried to reach her, grab her, but failed. Afterwards, Cindy was gone. Missing, without a trace. Nobody, except Andrew, knew what happened to her. As she was his only friend, Andrew was alone. He retreated inside himself, and began to doubt himself. He hid his Bakugan side from everybody, but always kept the memories." The image changed again. "But while Andrew faced his problems, Cindy faced more. She was deposited in the memory of Mabeland. Alone and confused, she began to wander its endless plains. When she came across the main part of Mabeland, she was bombarded by things she desired. Only by steeling herself could she resist. Her interests became minute to give Mabeland as little as possible to work with, eventually shutting it out completely. It was then that this motion of events began. When all of you got your Realital Genes, it was decided to have you save them. And because each of you were selected for one person, you were split up."

"Are you saying that we were influenced to split up like that?" Asked Marucho.

"Yes. We had to ensure the right people went to the right place. But, we didn't influence any other decisions. And when you saved them from their darkness, something unexpected occurred. The first Shifters, those of Bakugan and Digimon, gave half of their power to you. Andrew, the first Shifter gave you half of his power, and Cindy, the second Shifter gave you half of hers. The energy is still uncontrolled, so we need to refine it. The only way to do that is to face those with the same abilities as the firsts. Now that you are once again together, you must work together to succeed!"

"No way am I working with her!" Said Andrew. "She never respected my opinion!"

"The feeling is mutual." Said Cindy.

"Like it or not, this is your task." Andrew and Cindy began to glow. "Whether you succeed or fail is determined by how well you can realign your friendship." Crocolomon, Magnatron and Magnaliger began to glow. "You must work with your partners to prevail!" All five of them vanished.

"Where are you taking them?" Asked Runo.

"To their own test. They will be back shortly." The area returned to normal. "The fountain will show their Trial."

* * *

Cindy and Andrew were falling. They landed on their feet, and the area opened. They were on an endless expanse, surrounded by six colors. "A battle field." Said Andrew. "Never thought I'd see one!"

"A what?" Asked Cindy.

"This is where Bakugan Battles used to take place." Said Andrew.

"Again, what?"

"Never mind. Just know that you're going to learn Bakugan, one way or another."

"Greetings." Said a voice. "I trust the transition went smoothly."

"Who are you?" Asked Cindy. "And why, of all people, did you pair me with him?"

"For your first question, I cannot say. As for the second, you are paired with him the same way you are paired with Magnaliger, or Crocolomon. You two must work together in order to succeed."

"Yeah right. How can we work together when we're at such ends with each other?" Asked Andrew.

"The same way these two did." An image flashed into their minds of Atom and Azion, battling each other. "By realizing what one did, these two were able to come together yet again and save everything." An image flashed into their mind of when Spectra had Drago and Leonidas. "Even though they were on opposite sides, they were still able to come together in a time of need. That is what you two must learn." The images left, revealing to them two people facing them. "Atom is solely of Bakugan while Azion is of both Bakugan and Digimon, similar to you two. Now, you must face them!" The two people facing them came into focus, appearing to be Atom and Azion. "These two are copies of the real ones, but no less powerful. It is time for you two to learn to work together again. This will be based on Vestroian rules." Andrew looked at his Bakumeter to see the gauges filling up.

"Vestroian rules?" Asked Cindy.

"I'll explain as we go." Said Andrew. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but it seems that we need to work together. I'll start." Andrew grabbed a card. "Gate Card, Set!" He threw the card.

"What is that supposed to do?" Asked Cindy. The card glowed purple and expanded. "Gah! What's happening?"

"Relax." Said Andrew. "I just set the Gate Card. Bakugan cannot typically battle without one. Now then, follow my lead." He looked at Magnatron. "You ready?"

"You bet!" Andrew grabbed him.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan Stand! Rise Darkus Magnatron!" A beam was sent straight into the air, and a vortex opened up from it. Magnatron descended.

"Time for us to show our power!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Copy Atom. "Bakugan, Stand! Light them up Haos Mythical Leonidas!"

"Uh, how do I do this?" Asked Cindy.

"I will guide you." Said Magnaliger.

"First, grab your Bakugan." Said Andrew. Cindy grabbed Magnaliger tentatively. "Then, throw it onto the gate card."

"Why would I throw something? "Asked Cindy.

"Just do it!" Said Andrew.

"Uh, okay. Let's try this, I guess." She threw Magnaliger onto the field.

"You have to call Bakugan Stand." Said Andrew.

"Uh, okay. Bakugan, Stand!" Magnaliger glowed in a red light, then transformed. He was a lion Bakugan. Despite being a Pyrus Bakugan, he had black leg armor on his back legs and a black face mask. His eyes shone with an unnatural red light.

"It's been so long since I could stretch my legs!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Copy Azion. "Bakugan, Stand! Burn them to the ground Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon!"

"Okay, so I know of Leonidas, but not that form." Said Andrew. "Pyreon is a new one, though. If I can figure out which Bakugan they are similar to, I should be able to make an effective strategy."

"What are you mumbling about?" Asked Cindy. "Don't tell me it's more Bakugan Mumbo Jumbo!"

"It is." Said Andrew. "And, unfortunately, I need to explain it to you." He sighed. "Okay, listen. I'm assuming you know what I mean by power levels, right?"

"Yeah."

"In Bakugan, it's measured in Gs. The more Gs you have, the more powerful you are. A life gauge has 500 Gs. When you lose, you lose Gs in your gauge equal to the difference between the your total power and the opponent's." Cindy stared at him blankly. "Subtract your power from your opponent's. A negative number takes away from you while a positive number takes away from them."

"I get it now." Said Cindy. She looked at her Bakumeter. "What is this thing."

"That shows you the current power levels and the current life gauges."

"Ability Activate!" Said Copy Azion. "Fire Welder!" Pyreon dashed in and attempted to slice Magnatron.

"Ability Activate!" Said Andrew. "Vortex Screen!" Magnatron created a strange looking barrier in front of him, blocking Pyreon.

"Ability Activate!" Said Copy Atom. "Blinding Haos Speed!" Leonidas went in towards Magnaliger.

"Be careful." Said Andrew. "Leonidas is at 1500 Gs while Magnaliger is at 1000. If you lose by 500 or more, you lose your Bakugan."

"What?" Asked Cindy. Leonidas hit Magnaliger again and again.

"Hurry, please!" Said Magnaliger. "I need help!"

"What do I do?" Asked Cindy. A voice within her spoke.

"Activate an Ability." Cindy looked at her Bakumeter to see it glowing.

"Uh, Ability Activate!" Magnaliger began to glow. "Power Pounce!" Magnaliger jumped away from Leonidas, then jumped at him.

"Time for me to return the favor!" Magnaliger transferred 300 Gs from Leonidas, putting himself in the lead.

"Good going, now for us to win this thing! Ability Activate! Star Buster!"

"Time to unleash our power!" Said Magnatron.

"Ability Activate!" Countered Copy Atom. "Ancient Shield!" Leonidas generated a stone shield covered in moss. Pyreon ducked behind it as well.

"Not enough to save you!" Said Magnatron. He fired. The blast went around the shield and hit them from behind. Magnatron went up to 1600 Gs, gaining 600. However, Leonidas and Pyreon did not fall.

"What?" Asked Andrew. Copy Atom began laughing.

"Gets them every time. The Ancient Shield generates a shield, yes, but the stone one in front is a diversion. But by creating it, it gives the illusion of being the protection. The Ancient Shield actually appears behind Leonidas!" Magnatron's attack waned.

"And now that you've used your attack, I can do this!" Said Copy Azion. "Ability Activate! Plasma Inferno!" Pyreon charged up a massive attack.

"Ability Activate!" Said Andrew, hastily. "Anti-Matter!" Magnatron's wings changed to look like outer space, and he folded them in front of himself.

"Not going to save you!" Said Pyreon.

"Indeed." Said Copy Azion. "This attack took down a Mechtogan Titan!"

"A Titan?!" Asked Andrew. Pyreon blasted his attack and it rocketed into Magnatron.

"What's a titan?" Asked Cindy. Magnatron glowed, defeated. Andrew's gauge fell by 300 Gs, putting him at 200.

"Now then, as for you." Said Copy Atom. "Ability Activate! Infinity Strike!" Leonidas's hand was surrounded in six colors of light, and he ran towards Magnaliger. He gained 300 Gs, putting himself 200 Gs ahead. He struck Magnaliger, defeating him. Cindy's gauge fell to 300 Gs. Leonidas and Pyreon returned to their partners.

"This is bad." Said Andrew.

"What's a titan?" Asked Cindy.

"A Mechtogan Titan is one of the strongest things in all of Bakugan." Said Andrew. "They have a shield capable of stopping damage from anything less than Mechtogan Strength."

"And a Mechtogan is?"

"Powerful." Said Andrew. "I'll just leave it at that."

"I don't quite follow." Said Crocolomon. "Where I come from, there's Rookies, Champions, Ultimates and Megas. What's the difference here?"

"There really isn't." Said someone. Andrew and Cindy looked at Copy Atom. "I know I'm supposed to be against you, but I'm a copy of the real one. I have knowledge of both. With Bakugan, the lineage is Brawler, Bakugan, Mechtogan, Mechtogan Titan. It corresponds with Digimon's Rookie, Champion, Ultimate and Mega. Does that clear it up?"

"You know what, it actually does." Said Cindy. "Thanks!"

"No problem. But, back to the battle." Copy Atom grabbed a card. "Gate Card, Set! Bakugan, Brawl! Finish the fight Haos Mythical Leonidas!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Andrew. "Bakugan, Stand! Descend Magnatron!" Magnatron descended from his vortex.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Copy Azion. "Bring the fire, Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon!" Cindy began thinking.

"Okay, I just need to convert Bakugan to Digimon." She looked at the field. "Bakugan can beat Bakugan, Mechtogan can beat Mechtogan and Bakugan. The Ability Cards are the same as a Digimon's abilities. I think I'm starting to get it now!" She grabbed Magnaliger. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Magnaliger!" Magnaliger rose.

"We won't let you get the jump on us this time!" Said Andrew. "Ability Activate! Arcane Supernova!" Magnatron began generating a large, purple orb of energy in his mouth. "Sayonara!"

"As if!" Said Copy Azion. "Ability Activate! Infernium Shield!" Pyreon created a massive, flaming shield. Magnatron fired, but not at the shield. He fired behind it.

"What the?" Asked Copy Atom. The orb exploded, knocking Pyreon forward.

"I think I'm starting to get it!" Said Cindy. She analyzed the battle. "The more powerful a Bakugan, the more likely it is to win. The more powerful the attack, the more powerful the Bakugan. I think I'm getting the hang of this!"

"Well you better hurry!" Said Andrew. "I may not like you, but we're in this together!"

"Ability Activate!" Said Cindy. "Power Pounce!" Magnatron and Magnaliger were both at 1300 Gs. Pyreon had lowered to 800 Gs. Leonidas was still at 1200 Gs.

"It's not that easy!" Said Copy Atom. "Gate Card, Open! Enemy Resetter!" Magnatron and Magnaliger returned to 1000 Gs each while Pyreon went back to 1100 Gs. "Ability Activate! Impact Booster!" Leonidas glowed with a pure, white light, then charged in at Magnatron.

"Not happening." Said Andrew. "Ability Activate! Cosmic Barrier!" Magnatron began to glow, then dodged Leonidas. His ability faltered.

"Lights out!" Said Copy Azion. "Form Change! Darkus!" He and Pyreon glowed.

"What the?" Asked Cindy. The glow faded, showing them as Darkus.

"No way!" Yelled Andrew.

"Yes way." Said Copy Azion. "Ability Activate! Dark Fire!" Pyreon charged up a purple ball of flames in his hand, gaining 500 Gs. He blasted it at Magnatron.

"Bad move!" Said Magnatron. Pyreon lost 250 Gs, but Magnatron was still pushed back.

"Wait, how did he lose 250 Gs?" Asked Copy Azion.

"With Cosmic Barrier, it nullifies the active ability my opponent is using. And then, it halves the power of the next ability used against Magnatron! Ability Activate! Star Buster!" Magnatron gained 600 Gs, then fired at Pyreon. He glowed, defeated. Copy Azion's gauge fell to half.

"Time for me to step it up." Said Copy Atom. "Ability Activate! Light Split!" Leonidas glowed yellow, red and blue. When the glow died, there was three of him, one of each of the light attributes.

"What just happened?" Asked Cindy.

"The Light Split ability allows Leonidas to split into three of his attribute forms." Said Copy Atom. "Pyrus, Aquos and Haos. I figured I'd level the playing field a little."

"This guy is good." Said Andrew. "But I know that we're better!"

"We?" Asked Cindy.

"Yes, we. We may not be the friends we were before, but that doesn't change the fact that we're stronger together!" Andrew stuck his hand out to Cindy. "Will you join me in taking him out?" Cindy smiled.

"For now, we'll forget about the past and focus on the future. Otherwise, we'll get nowhere!"

"That's the spirit!" Said Andrew. "Now, we need to attack him in a coordinated manner. Any ideas?" Cindy looked at her ability cards, only to notice something on her hand.

"What's this?" She asked. She showed it to Andrew.

"An Attribute Wheel?" He asked. "Where did that come from?"

"If you guys are done talking, you still have this battle to finish!" Said Copy Atom. "Ability Activate! Triad of Elements!" All three Leonidases began charging up attacks in their respective attributes. Andrew looked to Copy Azion, and noticed that Copy Azion had an Attribute Wheel on his hand as well. He drew the connection.

"Try using Form Change." He said.

"What? Why?"

"Just trust me!" Said Andrew. The Leonidases attacked, sending their attacks at Magnaliger.

"If you're going to do something, do it now!" He said.

"Uh, okay!" Said Cindy.

"Call it out!" Said Andrew. "Go Ventus!"

"Form Change!" Said Cindy. "Ventus!" Magnaliger changed into Ventus just as the attacks hit. A smoke cloud erupted. "Magnaliger!" She heard a laughing.

"I'm okay." Said Magnaliger. "It's going to take more than that to take me down!" Andrew looked at the Gs to see that the Leonidases had fell to a total of 1500 Gs.

"Bravo." Clapped Copy Atom. "You figured out the weakness to the Triad of Elements. If it is directed at a Bakugan of the light attributes, Leonidas gains 500 Gs for each Leonidas on the field. If it targets any other attribute,"

"It reduces the power of all Leonidases to 500!" Said Andrew. "This is it! Ability Activate! Nebula Blazer!"

"You won't take me out of the battle yet!" Said Copy Atom as the total power fell to 1100. "Ability Activate! Savior!" The total power rose to 1200 just as Magnatron attacked.

"Bye bye!" He said. The three Leonidases recombined into one, then returned to Copy Atom. His gauge fell to 100 Gs.

"Now we've got them!" Said Andrew.

"That was quite the play." Said Copy Azion. "But now, it's come to this. The final part of the battle. Be ready, we won't hold anything back." Something appeared next to Copy Azion. It was a Dragonomon. He handed Pyreon to Copy Atom. "I'm not going to be much use with him during this part. I'm going Digital!"

"Finally!" Said Cindy. "Something I can understand!"

"Let's get started!" Said Andrew. "Gate Card, Set! Bakugan, Brawl! Descend Magnatron!"

"Bakugan, Brawl! Light them up Haos Mythical Leonidas! Burn them to the ground Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon!"

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Magnaliger!" Copy Azion grabbed his D-Power.

"Time to go to the max!" He brought it to his chest. "Or is it Mega? Biomerge, Activate!" A bubble formed around him.

"Oh crud!" Said Cindy. Copy Azion combined with Dragonomon, turning into Fusion Dragonomon.

"He looks a lot like Drago." Said Andrew.

"Stay on your toes, Andrew!" Said Magnatron. "Don't let him distract you!" Crocolomon looked at Fusion Dragonomon.

"Time for me to reveal the final surprise." Said Copy Atom. He held his hand up and all six attributes glowed. "Attributic Split!" He said. Leonidas glowed, then split into each of his six Attribute forms. They all got ready. Andrew was stunned.

"That, that can't be! It can't be possible!"

"It sure can." Said Copy Atom. "Because it just happened."

"What are we going to do now?" Asked Cindy. "We can't overpower them!"

"I think I have an idea." Said Crocolomon. He grabbed Cindy's D-Power and Pyrus card.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

"Just swipe this card through. I think it'll give us a chance!"

"Good luck with that!" Said Copy Azion, through Fusion Dragonomon. "Fusion Spear!" Fusion Dragonomon readied a spear.

"Digimodify!" Said Cindy. Crocolomon began glowing.

"I can feel the power!" He said. He grew to Bakugan size.

"Not enough!" Said Copy Azion. "Remember, a Mega is the equivalent of a Mechtogan Titan!" He threw the spear at Crocolomon. Cidny's Bakumeter glowed, and a slash point appeared on its side.

"Time to utilize our powers!" She said. "DigiAbility Activate! Redirect!" Crocolomon began spinning as the Spear grew closer. Then, it spun around him and went right at Fusion Dragonomon.

"What?" Asked Copy Azion. He was hit and launched backwards. Copy Atom looked at him, then back to the battle.

"DigiBakugan don't seem to follow the regular rules. Interesting." Said Copy Atom. "But that will not change the outcome of this battle. Ability Activate! Dextronic!" All six Leonidases began charging up an attack. Cindy figured out who they were aiming for.

"No!" Yelled Cindy. They fired at Magnaliger. "Ability Activate! Digital Shield!" She yelled. Crocolomon turned into a shield and landed in front of Magnaliger. All six attacks were deflected. Crocolomon returned to his Bakugan form.

Okay, that was new." Said Crocolomon.

"Again, another rule break." Said Copy Atom. "Ability Activate! Fire Welder!" Pyreon dashed in to try and attack Magnatron.

"Not so fast! Gate Card Open! Black Out!" Pyreon's ability faltered and he, along with the Pyrus, Ventus and Subterra Leonidases, fell to their knees. Pyreon's power fell by half while the Leonidases total power fell by a quarter. "Black Out is a Gate Card unique to Magnatron. Any opponent he faces that is of Pyrus, Subterra or Ventus immediately loses half their Gs. As an additional bonus, it halves the effectiveness of all future abilities you play!" Copy Atom blinked in surprise.

"Well then, that's quite the card. Ability Activate! Ground Breaker!" The Subterra Leonidas smashed the ground with his fist, destroying the Gate Card.

"I think I know how to counter that!" Said Cindy. "Ability Activate!" Crocolomon and Magnaliger got ready. "Digital Reincarnation!" Crocolomon's hands glowed, and his power spread across the shattered card. Then, Magnaliger's eyes glowed brighter, and two beams of light came out of them, sealing the cracks. When the glow died, the card was reformed.

"What the?" Asked Copy Azion. "How did you recreate the card?"

"Digital Reincarnation is an ability that can, and I quote, only be used when there is a DigiBakugan on the field. It recreates the Gate Card and prevents it from being shut down by anything not Digital." Copy Atom smirked.

"Fine. We shall play by your rules. Azion!"

"On it!" Said Copy Azion. He and Dragonomon split. "Atom here has the ability to split himself into all six attributes, but I have the ability to utilize any Digivice." Copy Azion pressed a button on his D-Power and it changed into a Burst Data Link. "As a Reality Shifter, I can use this the same I would a D-Power. D.N.A. Charge! Overdrive!" Dragonomon digivolved into Fusion Dragonomon. "And now, for the coup de gras!" He turned it to its side.

"No way! You couldn't!" Said Cindy.

"I have before, and I must do it now. The fate of all Realities depends on it! Charge! D.N.A. Burst Mode!" Fusion Dragonomon glowed and turned into his Burst Mode. Cindy fell to her knees.

"It's hopeless now!" She said.

"Come on, get up!" Said Andrew. "We don't have time for this!"

"There's nothing we can do! Burst Mode is too powerful!" She was hugging herself and shaking.

"Snap out of it!" Yelled Andrew. She looked at him.

"You don't understand! Burst Mode is above Mega! We can't compete!"

"Where was the can-do attitude you showed just last round, huh?" Cindy looked at him. "Just because the odds seem unbeatable doesn't mean they are! Figure out a solution!" Andrew turned back to the battle. "Think of Crocolomon and Magnaliger. They need you now, more than ever! Are you willing to just let your partners down like that?" Cindy looked back at the battle, then back to Andrew.

"No. I won't just leave them hang like that." She said.

"Then get up! Fight for them, fight with me! Fight for your friends!"

"Wait, does this mean"

"Yes. We're going to forget the past." Said Andrew. "Everything that drove us apart is back there. We can't let that stop us!" Andrew reached out his hand. "Will you help me, friend?"

Cindy nodded. "Yes, you can count on me!" She grabbed his hand.

"That's what I like to hear!" He said. He pulled her up. "Now, are we going to win this or what?"

"Let's do it!" Said Cindy. Andrew's Bakumeter began glowing, then Cindy's D-Power began to glow. They looked at their respective devices, accidentally bringing them together. Cindy's D-Power connected to Andrew's Bakumeter as their powers combined. Something generated in the middle. It looked like two bracelets.

"What are these?" Asked Andrew. He grabbed one.

"I don't know." Said Cindy. She grabbed the other one. "But they look neat." The bracelets glowed, then strapped themselves onto their arms. They stretched out across their entire forearms. One of them showed the six attributes of Bakugan, along with the Infinity and Silent Core. The other one showed a Fusion Loader and the Perfect Core.

"Good job." Said Copy Atom. The two looked at him. "You've refined the powers you have gotten from the firsts. Let's see if you can use them. Ability Activate! Infinity Strike!" All six Leonidases prepared their attack.

"No matter the odds," started Andrew.

"No matter what happens" continued Cindy.

"We are forever friends!" They finished. The symbols glowed. Then, their partners did. Crocolomon and Magnaliger combined while Magnatron split. When the glow faded, Magnaliger was standing on two legs, and had the face of a crocodile. He still had the piercing, unnatural Red eyes. Magnatron revealed himself to have split into eight, one of each Attribute and two that seemed different.

"I am Magnalomon." Said the Magnaliger and Crocolomon hybrid. "Digimon Bakugan hybrid with the powers of the Perfect Core.

"We are the total power held within Magnatron. The powers of all six Attributes and the powers of the Infinity and Silent Cores!" Said all eight Magnatrons.

"Go for it!" Said Copy Atom. The six Leonidases attacked.

"Not going to happen!" Said Andrew. He grabbed a strange card. "Ability Activate! Octant Attribution!" All eight Magnatrons glowed and aimed at the Leonidases. They generated massive amounts of power in their hands. As the Leonidases got close, they began to merge together again. "Octant Attribution is an ability unique to Magnatron. As long as he is split into his eight forms, this Ability will cancel any other split in effect. That makes your Attributic Split useless!" All six Leonidases became one again.

"DigiAbility Activate!" Said Cindy. "Dual Recession!" Fusion Dragonomon Burst Mode reverted back to Dragonomon while Pyreon returned to his first form. "This ability temporarily reverts two opponents back to their base forms! Now Andrew!"

"Gladly! Ability Activate!"

"Magnotic Cores!" Yelled the Magnatrons. All eight of them charged up attacks.

"I think we're done for." Said Copy Atom.

"It was at least fun." Said Copy Azion. The Magnatrons attacked. Despite them not bearing any Digital DNA, their attack still struck Dragonomon first, defeating him. Then, it rocketed to Pyreon, then Leonidas, defeating them. All five of them vanished. Andrew and Cindy looked at each other.

"Should I go first, or you?" Asked Andrew.

"I have a better idea." Said Cindy. The two caught their Bakugan as Crocolomon returned to normal. "Instead of apologising for the past, let's make a promise for the future."

"Okay." Said Andrew. "What do you have in mind?"

"How about we just promise to understand one another's opinions? That's drove us apart before."

"I can agree to that!" Said Andrew. The two shook hands, Crocolomon put his hand on top. Then Magnaliger and Magnatron jumped on top.

"This is a remarkable step forward." Everybody began looking around. "You two didn't just complete your trial, you crushed it. I would say everything is back to normal between you. And just in time." An image flashed into each of their minds. "You don't know this yet, but The Destruction, a ceaseless force unyielding in its quest, is edging closer and closer to victory. The only way to stop it is to unite the powers of Old and New. You two were the first, of Bakugan and Digimon. As such, your Realital Genes have mutated into Alpha Genes. Andrew, you are capable of a Primal Split. It is the same as an Attributic Split, but allows for the Bakugan to tap into the past, allowing for use of both the Infinity and Silent Cores. Cindy, you have the power of BakuDigitize. You can combine Bakugan and Digimon if you so command it. That power was only gifted to the Second Shifter. In unlocking these power, you two have shown true friendship in the face of danger, and a will capable of anything. It is time for you to return." The entire area glowed.

* * *

"Amazing." Said Alice.

"I'll say!" Said Dan. "I thought only Atom could do that! Incredible!"

"I must concur." Said Marucho. "But let's not forget the other part."

"He's right. Cindy is able to combine Digimon and Bakugan." Said Rika. "That opens lots of options for us."

"I'm more impressed by the fact that they won." Said Pyreon. "I mean, I know my power pales in comparison to Leo's, but that just took that copy down like an old poster!"

"And now, the next step is open." Said Shun. The area glowed, and Andrew and Cindy reappeared. Everybody looked at them.

"Hey guys! What's going on?" Asked Andrew.

"That was an amazing battle!" Said Takato. "I had no idea either of you could do those things when we first met you!"

"The world is full of surprises." Said Keith. "I doubt even the Forbidden Cards could match your power."

"Let's hope so." Said Runo. "After all, Spectra's still out there. And we know that the Destruction won't stop its endless rampage."

"And that means the next trial is upon us." Everybody looked around for the voice again.

"Okay, this is starting to get annoying." Said Ryo. "Just show yourself already!"

"If I did, then I would be forced to release you. And there's still three more to save."

"Three more?" Asked Dipper.

"Unreal!" Said Stan. "We've already fought through several trials! Let us leave already!"

"No." Was the answer. "But, you'll be interested in these next three." Three rings appeared in front of them. "The first, Hanabi Vénome." Her image filled in. "A Reality Shifter from Yu-Gi-Oh, an offshoot of Magic the Gathering. The Second, Daniel." His image filled in. "Daniel was an outcast, and has no idea of what he truly is. All he knows is that he can go into his favorite things. He often favors the counterpart to Digimon. And that brings us to Cameron Rusher." Her image filled in. "Unlike most Shifters, she has chosen a last name. She is capable of many things, often outshining those she is friends with. But her heart is riddled with mysteries and puzzles. These three have faced similar problems to both Andrew and Cindy, and each share a bond with the firsts. Unless they are saved, you will fail. So, I leave the question to you. Which one will you tackle first?"

* * *

 _Faced with a choice, we need to make a decision. Each one has their own pros and cons, and each is equally dangerous. And the worst part, we don't even know which one is which! This is going to be a tough choice._

 ** _By the time you are done reading this, there will be a poll posted for who they save next. The next chapter of Destruction goes up next year. Please vote, as your opinions affect the outcome. So, who will go next? Hanabi of Yu-Gi-Oh, created by Daniel Kazami on this site? Daniel, created by another friend of mine? Or perhaps Cameron, who in real life is a girl, so I don't know why she chose that as a Shifter name. Time will tell._**


	14. Allying Siblings

**Sorry this took so long, but trying to learn Yu-Gi-Oh quickly enough is hard at best, impossible at worst. But, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! And Daniel Kazami, I might've gone a little further than we agreed upon, but I hope you enjoy it! In fact, I hope all of you enjoy it! And if I made any mistakes on the playing, I don't know anything about Yu-Gi-Oh, so don't hold it against me please. With that, enjoy!**

Andrew and Cindy are back together, and stronger than ever. But now we're faced with a decision unlike any other. We need to choose who we save first. But, we don't even know where to start!

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Cassie's drone watched above. "Okay, back up a second." Said Azion. "What just happened?"

"From what we saw, Andrew and Cindy found their friendships again and took out copies of both you and Atom." Said Chaos.

"I saw that much, but this choice is absurd!" Said Azion. "I mean, who in their right mind would force people to choose someone to save above others? It takes a special kind of twisted to do that."

"Please stop arguing." Said Tom. "I already have a headache from trying to wrap my head around what they did."

"It is mind boggling." Said Cassie, looking through her book. "But it kinda makes you wonder what the other three will be capable of, doesn't it?" She found an interesting page. "Huh, this is new."

"Ugh." Said Azion. "Will you please stop going through that book? You've been through it about twenty times so far!"

"What else am I supposed to do?" Asked Cassie. "As far as I know, this is all I can do besides watch them endlessly. And plus, this page might be interesting to all of us."

"Well, don't keep us in the dark." Said Chaos. "Enlighten us. It beats just waiting around."

"One second. Just gotta check something." Cassie's hand symbol glowed and a flashlight appeared above it. She grabbed it and turned it on, revealing it to be a blacklight. "Okay, it's clear of Invisible Ink. Now then, this page shows something very strange. An Infinity Sided Die and the six attributes of Bakugan."

"Wait, what?" Asked Tom. "What's an Infinity Sided Die?"

"It's a die that can make anything happen." Said Cassie. "But it's very unpredictable. Anyways, here's what the page says. Dragon of Flame and Darkness shall roll the die, to which all fate is cast. Unless prevented, none can defy, for it erases the past." Cassie looked up. "Well, that seems ominous."

"Dragon of Flame and Darkness, huh?" Asked Azion. "The Die is obviously the Infinity Sided Die, but what could the Dragon of Flame and Darkness be?"

"Well, it's probably from Bakugan." Said Chaos. "So, that narrows it down a bit."

"What Bakugan are capable of being both Flame and Darkness?" Asked Tom, holding his head. "It would be really nice if I could get some headache medicine in here!" He called.

"Flame and Darkness." Said Azion. "Pyrus and Darkus. But then the Bakugan being a Dragon," his mind flashed to every dragon-like Bakugan. "There aren't many dragon-like Bakugan out there. There's Leonidas, Pyreon, Drago, Dharak and" he realized something and gasped. "Helios."

"What about him?" Asked Cassie.

"Think about it." Said Azion. "Helios started out as Pyrus. But when we saw him again in Interspace, Helios had become Darkus!"

"Okay, but that doesn't rule out any of the others." Said Tom. "Leonidas and Pyreon are both capable of Form Change, and Drago and Dharak are basically the same, just opposites."

"Well, Drago and Dharak are kinda out since Mag Mel was destroyed." Said Chaos. He shivered. "I still don't like what I did as Rak Taal."

"So that leaves Leonidas, Pyreon and Helios." Said Cassie. "But which one?"

* * *

Spectra walked into the room, holding the Infinity Sided Die. "So, you have returned." Said the Being.

"Yes sire. And I have brought what you requested of me." Spectra prepared to place it on a table when he was stopped by Bill.

"Hold it!" He said. He checked the table to see if it was wobbly. It was. "You need to be careful. If that thing rolls, it could completely wipe us out!" Spectra looked at the Die again.

"Is that true?" The being nodded.

"Unfortunately. If that thing rolls, there is an infinite number of possibilities that can happen. It could create a small bunny, it could vanish, it could explode, it could implode, it could even destroy every single Reality within its vicinity. While that last option is preferable, it's still very unpredictable. That is why we must have your Helios absorb its power."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Asked Spectra.

"I have just the idea!" Said Bill. His body flashed, showing an image. "It's called a transposer. This specific variant can take the energy from something and put it into another."

"I believe I have access to one." Said the Being. It got up and walked out of the room. Spectra and Bill followed, but Spectra lost his grip on the Die. It fell and rolled.

"Aw crud!" Said Bill. "Well, there's no stopping it now. Let's see what it does!" The being sighed. The Die continued its roll for a little longer, the symbols flashing. When it came to a rest, the top image changed into six circles in a ring with one in the center. Spectra looked at it to notice that it was the six attributes and some sort of symbol. Nothing happened.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." Said Bill. A beam of light then shot out of the Die. "I stand corrected!" The light continued to grow.

"Oh boy." Said the Being. "Is luck on our side?" Something started coming out of the light. "Seems like it." A frail man came out, then promptly collapsed, unable to breath. "Of course he doesn't have a gene. One moment." The being glowed, then the man glowed. His breathing returned to normal as the glow faded.

"Who is this?" Asked Spectra. Something else fell out of the light, landing on the man. Bill looked at it.

"Whoa!" He said. "I remember these symbols! It was millennia ago, back in Egypt. This is the same book I helped someone steal. Unfortunately, someone convinced him to return it. His name was Setne."

"Setne?" Asked the Being. "Of course. Of course! The Die brought to us the most powerful Magician across all Realities! This Setne isn't the same one you helped, Bill. This is the one from Reality 3345096, otherwise known as the Mythology Reality. In this Reality, ancient gods and forces live, forever intertwined. Setne is, as Bill stated, from Egyptian Mythology. However, he attempted to combine both Greek and Egyptian Mythology to achieve immortality! And he nearly succeeded, one of the biggest feats I've ever seen!"

"Where am I?" Asked Setne, waking up.

"Relax." Said the Being. "You are among friends here." Setne looked up to see Spectra, Bill and the Being.

"Who are you?" He asked, getting up quickly.

"I am Spectra."

"Bill's the name, deals are the game!"

"And I am what's known as the Destruction."

"Where am I? I thought I was trapped by the Kanes!"

"You are between Realities." Said the Being, calmly. "You have been freed from your prison."

"So, I'm free to do what I want?"

"Partially." Said the Being. "Despite having a physical form, you are still dead. Thus, your ability to perform magic is still limited. However, you are still quite powerful." The being thought for a second. "Here, I have an idea. Bill, why don't you bring him somewhere to lie down and recover while me and Spectra infuse Helios with the Infinity Die?"

"Why do I have to do it?" Asked Bill.

"Because, Spectra is the only one capable of keeping Helios calm, even under extreme duress. You, on the other hand, are free because I have to control the transposer."

"Fine." Said Bill. "But I reserve my right to complain about it!" Bill directed Setne to go with him. The Being looked at Spectra.

"Come now, let's do this. And I'll hold the Die this time."

* * *

"What kind of choice is that?" Asked Dan. "How are we supposed to decide?"

"Yeah!" Said Runo. "How are we?"

"We've got nothing to go off of." Said Ryo. "Nothing to give us a clue."

"Peculiar." Said Ford. "This kind of choice must have some kind of implications."

"Indeed, it does." Said the voice. "More than most could ever know. For each one you rescue, the others become that much harder. Trust me when I say you want to tackle them in a good order."

"Ugh, this is impossible!" Said Dan. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Maybe we should just go with whoever seems to be best." Said Drago.

"I concur." Said Marucho. "If we all vote for whoever we want to save first, we can just go with them." Almost everybody nodded, and began lining themselves up. Ford, Gideon, Runo, Ryo, Kazu, Rika, Shun and Keith went with Hanabi. Dipper, Mabel, Wendy, McGucket, Julie, Alice, Marucho and Takato went with Daniel. Andrew, Cindy, Soos, Pacifica, Robbie, Kenta, Henry and Suzie went with Cameron. Stan didn't really care, and stood to the side. That left Dan as the deciding vote.

"Why does it always fall to me?" He asked.

"Oh, stop complaining." Said Drago. "Just choose somebody."

"Uh, okay. Uh." Dan looked between all three options. "I guess I'll choose, Hanabi."

"Excellent choice." Said the voice. "But, before you go, I'll tell you a little bit about the world she believes she inhabits. It's all in her mind, and she's dueling an evil within her that could destroy her if not defeated soon. That is your goal. You must figure out how to enter her mind and help to defeat this evil. The path will be laid before you." The ground began to glow, then the surrounding area did. "Keep this in mind: the power that you all share could break her. Be careful." The voice fell silent as the area became surrounded by buildings. People began appearing, walking around. Trees popped up, followed by benches and garbage cans. Finally, a few tables under umbrellas appeared. The group began to look around.

"So, what is this place?" Asked Dan.

"I'm not sure." Said Marucho. He noticed two people nearby placing devices on their arms. "Are those" the devices expanded into duel discs. "I guess not." A few people began to notice them.

"Who are they?" Asked someone.

"I don't know. Maybe they're actors!"

"Not that I mind being noticed, but perhaps we should avoid the limelight." Said Ford.

"Good idea." Said Rika. She looked at Renamon, who nodded. Renamon vanished.

"I'll scope out the area." Said Shun. He too vanished. Takato looked around a bit more, and saw two people facing each other with strange devices on their heads.

"What are those?" He asked.

"I'd be interested to find out." Said Henry. One on the people frowned, then took off the device.

"Man, I never lose that easily." The other person walked away as he looked over at the group. "Huh? Who are they?" It was Hanabi's brother, Yuri. "Maybe I should go talk to them." He began walking towards the group. Shun and Renamon reappeared. "What the? Where did they come from?"

"Come on, this way." Said Shun. "There's several places we can hide in this direction."

"Let's go then!" Said Runo. "I don't want to draw any more attention to ourselves than needed." The group followed Shun while Renamon vanished again.

"Where did she go?" Asked Yuri. Renamon appeared behind him, grabbed him, then vanished again. She followed the group to the first hiding spot that Shun found, an alley.

"So, what's our first move towards finding this Hanabi?" Asked Stan. "It's not like we have much to go off of."

"If only I could figure out who she is." Said Ford. "Then I might be able to triangulate her location based off of her residual energy."

"And all that mumbo jumbo means what, exactly?" Asked Takato.

"Basically it means that if we knew who she was, we would be able to find her." Said Marucho.

"I think I found someone who might be able to help." Said Renamon. She released Yuri.

"What the heck was that for?" He asked. He then looked around the group. "Oh boy. What have I gotten myself into this time?"

"Renamon, why did you grab her?" Asked Rika.

"I noticed him looking at us, trying to figure out who we were. So, I grabbed him to bring him here so that we could introduce ourselves and possibly figure out who Hanabi is."

"Wait, you know Hanabi?" Asked Yuri.

"Well, we know of her." Said Dipper. "Why, do you know her?"

"Yeah, I'm her brother." Said Yuri. "The name's Yuri. Who are all of you?" The group quickly introduced themselves. "Wait, what the heck are Bakugan and Digimon?"

"Can I ask a question first?" Asked Cindy. "Where are we?"

"Dual Academia." Said Yuri. "Why?"

"Okay then." Said Andrew. "We both know this place, sort of."

"You do?" Asked Julie. "Awesome! What can you tell us?"

"We must be trying to help someone of Yu Gi Oh GX or Arc V." Said Cindy. "It's the only explanation."

"Back to my question, what are Bakugan and Digimon?"

"Think of them as monsters that just always exist." Said Andrew. "To put it in terms that you would understand."

"Awesome!" Said Yuri. Then she remembered something. "Wait, you guys said you were here to see Hanabi. Why?"

"Well, you see, we've kinda been sent here to save her from something." Said Ryo. "We don't know what exactly." Yuri gasped.

"Follow me, quickly!" He dashed out of the alley.

"Should we trust him?" Asked Drago.

"He seems trustworthy." Said Dragonomon.

"He's our only lead." Said Mable. "I say we follow him!" She took off after Yuri.

"Mable! Wait!" Said Dipper. He took off after her.

"I don't want to be separated." Said Soos. "Let's go!" The rest of the group took off after them. Yuri kept dodging past others quickly, almost losing everybody else. He soon stopped in front of a building that looked fairly normal, until he opened the door. Inside was somewhat weird, relatively speaking. However, it was the person inside that surprised them. It was Hanabi. She was laying on the floor, unmoving.

"What the heck happened to her?" Asked Dan.

"It happened a few days ago." Said Yuri. "She was dueling someone we've never seen before. He was dressed in all black, and his eyes were an unnatural black. After Yuri beat him, he grabbed at something and threw it at her. She collapsed after that, with no warning. I had to drag her all the way back here, and as I did she continued to get heavier. When I got her there, I couldn't get her to move at all. It's like she's frozen in place."

"Frozen in place?" Asked Magnaliger. "Hm. Let me take a look." He floated off of Cindy's shoulder and began looking at Hanabi closely. He began glowing. "Since I was frozen in time, I know the symptoms of it." He stopped glowing. "However, that's not what's wrong with her."

"Then what is?" Asked Wendy. "If we can't wake her up, we're stuck here!"

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?" Asked Yuri.

"Would it surprise you if we said we're here to save her so she can help us stop the destruction of all Realities?" Asked Andrew. Yuri smiled.

"I knew it wouldn't be long before she had to help save the world again." She sighed. "I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"We'll save her." Said Ford. "Don't worry." He looked at Hanabi. "Now, if I could just get my hands on some wires and a metal bowl." He reached into his pocket, taking out a piece of glass.

"What do you need those for?" Asked Yuri.

"I'm going to make a device to let us see into her mind." Said Ford.

"Wait, what?" Asked Yuri.

"Just trust me on this." Said Mable. "It's better to just let him work."

"Uh, okay." Said Yuri. He walked off. "Where do we have wires?" Ford took a rubber band and attached it to the glass. Then, he grabbed a small flashlight and attached it. Yuri came back with a few lengths of wires. Ford connected them then grabbed a small device from his coat. Yuri walked away again to find a metal bowl. Ford attached the device as Yuri came back with the bowl.

"What are you making?" Asked Marucho.

"Well, I usually carry a device to measure brainwaves. But, by connecting it like this," he connected it to the bowl then to the new device, "I can make a projector to let us see into her mind." He placed it on her head. "Let's hope that it works." He turned on the flashlight, and the entire thing sparked a little. Then, an image appeared on the ceiling. "Yes! I knew it would work!" Yuri looked close at the image and gasped.

"No way!" He yelled. In the image, Hanabi was facing off against something.

"And now, I attack!" Said the thing. A large monkey attacked Hanabi's creature, destroying it. A small image appeared on the screen, showing the number 1000. It dropped by 500. "Your move!" Hanabi looked at her hand and the group saw that she had only one card. To everybody but Yuri, it looked like just a dragon.

"She's down to her last play." Said Yuri. "If it fails, she's gone!"

"Wait, what?" Asked Dan. "What do you mean gone?"

"I mean she loses." Said Yuri. Hanabi was about to draw a card.

"What can we do?" Asked Takato.

"We have to help her!" Said Yuri. "Please, can't you do anything?!"

"What can we do?" Asked Shun. "We can't go into her mind." Hanabi drew the card, revealing nothing useful. She played the dragon.

"And now, I play Toxic Beauty Fusion Dragon!" The thing laughed.

"You just activated my trap card!" It said. A card flipped up. "Virtuous Grace! If a Sin Dragon is played, this card will send it to the graveyard while also dealing 400 points of damage!" The dragon on Hanabi's side exploded and the force generated by it blasted her back. Her life fell to 100.

"Hanabi!" Yelled Yuri. Hanabi slowly got up.

"Face it, you're toast." Said the thing. "And now you will never learn of your destiny."

"My destiny?" Asked Hanabi.

"It doesn't matter now, your power is nothing compared to mine!"

"If she doesn't pull this around, she's a goner!" Said Yuri.

"Are you done yet?" Asked the thing. "Next turn, you're gone!"

"We have to do something!" Said Dan. "Otherwise, we'll never be able to save her!"

"Dan, calm down!" Said Drago. "We need to think this through!"

"I'm not waiting!" Said Dan. "We need to help her now!" His hand glowed.

"Dan, your hand is glowing." Said Runo. Dan looked at it. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" The Attribute Wheel began cycling through the attributes, before all six eventually glowed. Lines extended from then towards the center, generating a new image. What seemed to be a vortex formed on it, then became encased by a square. His hand stopped glowing.

"Uh, what?" Asked Dan. The new symbol began to glow, followed by Drago.

"What's going on?" He asked. Drago vanished and a light streaked from where he was to Hanabi's head. The image began to glow.

"What's happening?" Asked Hanabi.

"No, it cannot be!" Said the thing. Hanabi looked at her hand to see the useless card change to another Dragon.

"What the?" Asked Dan. "Drago?

"How did he get in there?" Asked Julie.

"Dan, can I see your hand really quick?" Asked Alice. Dan held his hand out and Alice looked at Yuri.

"Can you come over here really quick?"

"Sure." Said Yuri. He walked over and looked at Dan's hand. "Wait, since when do you have a card?"

"A card?" Asked Dan.

"It's a symbol of the Reality!" Said Marucho. "Just like the Attribute Wheels!"

"What card is this?" Asked Hanabi. "I've never seen it before."

"Don't you dare play it!" Said the thing.

"Come on Hanabi, do it!" Said Yuri.

"If I will give me a chance, I have no choice but to play it!" Said Hanabi. "I play Fusion Dragonoid!" Hanabi played the card, summoning Drago. He appeared in front of her.

"What? Where am I?" He asked. He began looking around, then saw Hanabi. "What? What's going on?"

"What just happened?" Asked Dan.

"Your Realital Gene must've reacted to your desire to save her, and allowed you to send her help!" Said Ford. "Now we just have to hope that she can succeed."

"It cannot be!" Said the thing. "I guess I must reveal myself now, for it is the only way to boost my power!" It began to glow, and change. Its body turned humanoid, and clothing appeared on it. As its form settled, Yuri gasped again.

"It's him!" Piercing, black eyes formed, completing the person.

"It can't be." Said Hanabi. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"You shouldn't be asking the second question, because it deals with your destiny!" Said the person. "However, I do believe you could know who I am. I am a dark warrior, created by the Destruction to destroy you and any others who would seek the powers of the originals! I am Tan, a Dark Shifter created from the same DNA that fills you! My power is granted by chaos, while you is order. And that is why you cannot win! And your hand is empty, which makes it my turn!" He drew a card. "You know, I really must thank you. If you weren't around, I wouldn't be here. For that, I will give you this mercy. Your death will be quick and painless!" He played the card. "Time for this Spell Card! This one was created by the Destruction, specifically to target any being not originating in this Reality! Goodbye, Drago! I'm certain Dan will miss you. I play Destruction's Boon!" Dark clouds formed over Drago and Hanabi, shrouding them in darkness. Lightning flashed, hitting Drago.

"No!" Yelled Hanabi. Her hand glowed, slowly revealing the same vortex that Dan had. It glowed brightly.

"Impossible! How could you activate it?" Asked Tan. In the real world, Hanabi's hand glowed, gaining the symbol. Drago glowed, then his card did. Hanabi looked at it.

"Can use his power to end the battle by swapping the current life." She said. She looked at Tan. "Time for the victor to be changed. I activate Fusion Dragonoid's Special Ability! Our Life is now swapped!" Her Duel Disk showed the change, putting her at 4000 and Tan at 100. "And now, I attack your monster! With an attack this high, you're gone!" Drago began charging up a fireball, then fired it. It blasted into the monkey, destroying it. The fireball continued on towards Tan.

"No!" He yelled. The fireball hit him, finishing him off. He vanished. Drago began to glow, then vanished.

"Where did he go?" Asked Hanabi. She too began to glow. "What's happening to me?" As the glow faded, she faded as well. The image vanished on the ceiling as a light popped out of Hanabi's head. It landed on Dan's shoulder and turned back into Drago.

"What just happened?" Asked Dan. Hanabi twitched and Yuri noticed. Nobody noticed a light go into her.

"You will do well, Hanabi." Said the Third Shifter, hidden in the room. "This trial has awakened you."

"Hanabi!" Cried Yuri. "You're okay!" He quickly hugged her, surprising her a little.

"What's going on brother, darling?" Yuri let go of her.

"Don't you remember anything?" Asked Yuri. "The duel, the strange person, how you collapsing?"

"Nothing." Said Hanabi. "I, I don't remember anything." She looked around. "Who are all these people?"

"They're friends." Said Yuri. "In fact, he's the one who helped you." He pointed to Dan.

"Uh, yeah, well, it was kind of an accident how I helped you." Said Dan.

"Well, no matter the circumstances, I thank you for your help." Said Hanabi. "Even though I don't remember what you helped me with." The room began to glow.

"What's happening?" Asked Yuri.

"This is actually good." Said Takato. "It means we've completed our goal." The area continued to get brighter, then vanished, revealing the wooded area yet again.

"Where are we?" Asked Hanabi.

"I don't know." Said Yuri. "But it looks awesome!" He ran off a little to explore.

"Brother, Darling, don't wander off!" She ran after him.

"Surprise, surprise." Said the voice. Yuri stopped running and Hanabi ran into him. "So, the Deadly Sin Duet both have Realital Genes. That's both good and bad. However, it changes nothing. Now then, to explain your roles. You and Yuri were able to leave your home and travel to a new one because of your genes. Your parents only opened the gate for you to go through. Hanabi, you are a very important Shifter. You are one of the few connected to the originals through your power. It is very important that you learn your power well. But, for now, you just need to learn what you are. You and Yuri are both Reality Shifters, each with a different Realital Gene. Your destiny, as Tan was calling it, is to help stop the Destruction from destroying everything. However, Hanabi is playing a stronger role than Yuri. But, Yuri must be added to our ranks so that we may become ever stronger. And they is why I gift to you these Bakugan." Two small orbs began to glow in front of Hanabi and Yuri. "For Hanabi, I gift you Toxigon. Based off of your Toxic Beauty Fusion Dragon, it has poison based abilities and is of the Darkus Attribute. Yuri, I grant to you Hungeron. Based off of your Starve Venom Fusion Dragon, it has the ability to take your opponents power as its own. But be wary, it will often try to take more than it can handle. It is of the Darkus Attribute as well." The two Bakugan took form and opened. "Do you accept your new roles?"

"Are you kidding?" Asked Yuri. "Of course we do!"

"I concur." Said Hanabi. "It would be rude of us not to." Toxigon went to her while Hungeron went to Yuri.

"Then you are now in this with your comrades. But the next trials are still to come." Something roared nearby.

* * *

 _With new teammates, we've got new powers. But, will those new powers be enough to save us? How are we going to stop this thing! And just mysteries does it hold when we do? There are too many unanswered questions, but one is still very prominent. Where the heck did Atom, Tom, Azion, Chaos and Cassie go? We need them! If only one of us could figure it out. Wait, what's the glowing spot? What's coming out of it? I don't think any of us know, but you probably don't want to miss it!_


	15. Mysterious Messenger

**Uploading this one in replacement of regular chapter today. Enjoy all!**

Another one down, two to go. It's been a long time coming, but I think we're ready for this! We've just recently saved Hanabi and recruited her and her brother, Yuri. But now, we've got bigger issues. We're starting to wonder where our other teammates have gone without any way to find out. But that's not the worst of it as the next trial draws near.

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

"Okay Spectra, place Helios right there." Said the being. Bill came into the room.

"So, what's the plan with the new guy?" He asked.

"One moment." Said the being. He placed the die down. "I'm not sure yet. However, it happened so there must've been a reason. I don't quite know yet, but I have a few theories." The being stared into space, as if trying to see something very far away.

"So, now what do we do?" Asked Spectra. The snapped the being out of it.

"Right. Anyways, we just need to power the transposer up." The being pressed a button and energy began to flow from the die into the machine. It gradually lost its color.

"So, what happens now?" Asked Spectra. Energy began to flow into Viper Helios. He began writhing around. "Stay calm." The Helios paused for a second before continuing.

"It's probably painful." Said Bill. "After all, an infinity die has a lot of power. His body might not be able to handle it." Spectra glared at Bill.

"Don't ever say that Helios can't handle power! Understood!?"

"Sheesh! Calm down!" Said Bill. "All I gave was a possibility. I'm just letting you know the worst outcome." The Helios began to glow and the die was almost completely gray.

"Almost done." Said the being. The last of the energy was absorbed from the die into the machine. The being pressed a button, sending the rest of it straight to the Helios in one fell swoop. The energy levels skyrocketed and the Helios glowed brighter. Then, it stopped. The energy stopped pouring out. The Helios kept glowing, however, but it slowly faded. He had evolved. "Finally. Helios has evolved."

"What is he now?" Asked Spectra.

"He's Pyrus and Darkus Probability Helios." Said the being. He began laughing. "And now, nothing can stop you! This Bakugan is capable of fighting Bakugan, Digimon, Pokemon, and anything else thrown its way!" Spectra smiled.

"Very well then. So, what's out first move?"

"We wait." Said the being. "In a few days time, Invasion Core will be destroyed, ending Atom's trial. Left without his awakened power, he should be defenseless."

"And what do you plan for Setne?" Asked Bill.

"If possible, I would like to bring him back to life." Said the being. "He will be much more powerful then."

"And then?" Asked Spectra.

"Then the plan continues."

* * *

"What was that?" Asked Marucho.

"I'm not sure." Said Henry. The roar resounded again, this time slightly louder.

"Simple." Said the voice. "It's your next trial. Be ready, for the mysteries this thing holds are beyond what most of you can imagine." The roar resounded again. "I warn you, this trial has been made far harder due to your first choice, but it is still doable. Good luck." The voice fell silent as the roar crackled through again.

"Oh great." Said Hanabi. "Five seconds into this whole Reality Shifter business and I'm already regretting it."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Said Andrew. Yuri looked at him.

"How long have you been a Shifter?" He asked.

"About twice as long as you have." Replied Andrew. The roar grew louder.

"Okay, can we please figure out what that roar is?" Asked Stan. "It's giving me a headache!" The ground began rumbling.

"Did you have to say that aloud?" Asked Dipper. Something crashed nearby, followed by the sound of a tree toppling.

"It's getting closer." Said Takato.

"Be ready everybody." Said Dan. The Brawlers grabbed their Bakugan while the Tamers readied their D-Powers. Ford prepared his blaster as Mabel grabbed her grappling hook. Wendy grabbed her hunting knife. More trees began toppling, several visible. The bushes rustled, then a tiny, adorable, black dragon came out.

"That's it?" Asked Runo, lowering Tigrerra.

"It's so cute!" Said Julie. "I just want to give it a big hug!" She ran up to grab it, but it growled at her and shied away.

"Careful Julie, we don't know what that thing is capable of." Cautioned Alice.

"Well, it seems harmless for now." Said Ford. The dragon sneezed and glowed purple for a second. Almost nobody noticed it grow a little. The only ones who did were Dipper and Janthide.

"Did you just see it grow too?" Whispered Dipper.

"Yes, I did." Replied Janthide. "Something isn't adding up here." The dragon sneezed again and the same thing happened.

"But, if it's harmless, then what kind of trial are we facing?" Asked Henry. Julie picked up the dragon, who sneezed again.

"Who knows?" Asked Julie. "But do we have any guesses on who it is?"

"What do you mean 'who it is?'" Asked Henry.

"What I mean is which one of the other two we need to save is it? We've helped Hanabi, so that leaves Cameron and Daniel." The dragon sneezed twice. "It feels like you're getting heavier." The dragon growled again.

"Julie, I think you need to put him down." Said Dipper.

"Why?"

"It's not as cute as you think it is." Agreed Janthide. The dragon sneezed again, but it was a powerful sneeze. It visibly surged in size.

"What the?" Asked Dan. Julie set the dragon down.

"Okay, I see your point now!" The dragon turned to her and she screamed. The dragon nuzzled her, then sneezed again. Its body stayed purple.

"What's it doing now?" Asked Stan. Ford did some quick calculations in his head.

"If I'm right, that dragon is currently growing at an exponential rate." He said. "Every time it glows, it grows." The dragon glowed brighter. "If it keeps glowing like that, I'm not sure how much bigger it's going to" the dragon stopped glowing and began shuddering. "Uh oh." The dragon surged in size, again and again.

"We have to stop it!" Shouted Marucho. The dragon kept surging higher and higher.

"Swipe the cards!" Said Takato. The tamers swiped their Attribute cards and their Digimon matched the dragon as they became Bakugan sized, but the dragon outpaced them after that. Its body began hardening as lightning crackled.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Dan. The other brawlers followed him. "Rise Pyrus Fusion Dragonoid!"

"Let's go Aquos Preyas, Aquos Renas and Aquos Tsunami Slight!"

"Storm Skyress Descend! Teressmon, rise!"

"Let's go Tigrerra!"

"Show them what you're made of, Gorem!"

"We can do this Hydranoid!"

"Darkus Magnatron, Descend!"

"Bring the heat Pyrus Magnaliger!" The dragon growled as its ascent stopped.

"Rise Darkus Infinity Helios!"

"You guys have to put us in!" Said Pyreon.

"Yeah! We need to get in there!" Said Vladitor.

"Throw us in!" Said Janthide.

"I'll give it a shot." Said Dipper. He grabbed Janthide. "How exactly do I do this?"

"Throw me and call Bakugan Brawl. Then, when I land, call Bakugan Stand. Then yell my full name, Ventus Windstorm Janthide."

"Okay, I think I can do this." Said Dipper. "Bakugan, Brawl!" He threw Janthide. "Bakugan, Stand! Go Ventus Windstorm Janthide!"

"Same thing for me, except my full name is Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon. Let's go Takato!"

"Uh, okay!" Said Takato. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon!"

"I'm a Baku-Sky Raider, so call out Baku-Sky Raider, Jump instead of Bakugan Stand." Said Vladitor. "And my full name is Darkus Doomic Vladitor."

"I think I can do this." Said Ryo. "Bakugan, Brawl! Baku-Sky Raider, Jump! Let's go Darkus Doomic Vladitor!" Dipper, Takato and Ryo's hands all glowed. Dipper's hand symbol appeared as the Attributes appeared around it. Takato's Attribute Wheel appeared on his hand again, but stayed as the glowing faded. Ryo's hand gained a wheel.

"They got it!" Said Dan. "Let's go everybody!"

"You're missing us." Said Hanabi. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Go Darkus Toxigon!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Yuri. "Bakugan Stand! Devour it Hungeron!" All the Bakugan stood together against the dragon, who was roughly three times their size. Its head glowed purple as energy built up. Lightning came from it, crashing down in front of them. Dirt got thrown up, blocking everybody's view. The land morphed beneath them, becoming a ruined castle. Through Cassie's drone, everybody saw the changes.

"What's going on?" Asked Tom.

"It looks like an arena." Said Cassie. Chaos gasped.

"What's up?" Asked Azion.

"I know what this is, and they're not ready for it!" Said Chaos. "It's the Lord of Lightning. That castle is from Crumbledon, in Super Mario Odyssey. They won't be able to beat it!" The dust settled, allowing everybody to look again.

"What the?" Asked Dan. "Where are we?" The dragon landed on the edge of the ruined castle. Its head began to glow again, shooting lightning. It traveled along the ground, forcing everybody to dive away. The Bakugan who could fly grabbed their partners.

"What is that thing?" Asked Henry. Ford took a longer glance at the dragon to see a very large crown on its head, held on by chains to small things on its head. Lightning landed right next to him.

"Grunkle Ford!" Called Dipper. Janthide swooped down and grabbed him.

"Thanks Dipper." Said Ford. "And thank you, Janthide."

"No problem." Said Janthide. "But we're going to need to head down again!" She swooped down again to grab Mabel and Stan, getting them out of the way of the lightning.

"I think I saw an opening to stop that thing." Said Ford. "Look at it closely." Dipper cast a glance at the dragon, and noticed the crown on its head.

"Do you think that's its weak spot?" Asked Dipper.

"Why else would it be there?" Asked Stan.

"I'm going to go tell the others!" Said Mabel. She grabbed her Grappling Hook and took aim at Drago and fired. It latched onto one of his horns, and bought her up. She landed next to Dan.

"What's up Mabel?" Asked Dan.

"Make it quick!" Said Drago. Lightning flashed in front of him. "This isn't easy!"

"Grunkle Ford thinks he found this thing's weak spot!" Said Mabel. "It's under the crown on its head!" Drago shot a glance.

"She's right. This thing's body is made entirely out of rock. Why would it need a metal covering anywhere?"

"I've got to go tell the others!" Said Mabel. She took aim at Magnatron, and fired. It latched onto his horn, and began dragging her. But luck wasn't on her side as lightning passed between her and Magnatron, cutting the rope on her grappling hook. She began falling, screaming on the way down.

"Mabel!" Said Dipper.

"On it!" Said Janthide. She tried to swoop down, but lightning blocked her.

"I got her!" Said Skyress. She dove down and Shun caught her. She continued screaming.

"You can stop now, you're safe." Said Shun. Mabel slowly quieted down. The dragon laughed.

"You ants are fun." It said. "I suppose I should tell you a little about myself. I am the Lord of Lightning! All who oppose me tremble before my power! And you are the next to face me. Be honored, for very few ever meet me." Lightning came down directly on Hydranoid, defeating him.

"Hydranoid!" The wind from the attack blasted Alice back. Hydranoid landed next to her as she laid on the ground. She vanished.

"Alice!" Called Runo. Lightning hit Tigrerra, defeating her. "Tigrerra!" Runo got blasted back as well, vanishing as she hit the ground.

"Runo!" Yelled Dan. Helios got hit, and glowed, defeated. Keith vanished. "Keith!" Dan turned towards the dragon. "You'll never get away with this!" The dragon laughed.

"Face it, fool. The only way you're getting your friends back is if you beat me, and that's impossible!

"If there's anything that the Shifters taught us," started Dan.

"It's that nothing is impossible except impossibility itself!" Finished Shun.

"That's right!" Said Takato. "No matter the odds, nothing is ever impossible! We showed that when we beat the D-Reaper!"

"We showed that when we beat Bill not once, but twice!" Said Dipper.

"And we've been showing it ever since!" Agreed Ryo. "Since we've left our Reality, we've shown how anything is possible!"

"Fools! Give up now, before you all perish!"

"Never!" Said Julie. "Ability Activate! Giga Impact!" Gorem readied his hammer, and threw it. The Lord of Lightning swatted it away.

"Your feeble attacks mean nothing to me! I hold the power of a Shifter within me!" The dragon slammed his head down, charging up lightning.

"Get ready!" Said Takato.

"Ready!" Said Pyreon.

"Don't let them touch you!" Said Ryo.

"You got it!" Said Vladitor.

"Get ready, Gorem!"

"Always."

"Let's do this!" Said Cindy.

"Of course." Said Magnaliger. "Though I feel as if we'll be split on how to do it."

"Ready guys?" Asked Marucho.

"You got it, Marucho buddy!"

"We've never been more ready!" Said Slight.

"Bring it!" Said Renas.

"Teressmon?"

"I'm ready!"

"Very well." Said the Lord of Lightning. Lightning began spraying out from his head, travelling around the arena. It bounced off the nearby walls and was heading straight to the Bakugan still on the ground. Vladitor and Pyreon jumped over the energy as it drew near, followed by Magnaliger. Gorem grabbed a small pillar and slammed it down in front of him, blocking the attack. However, Renas wasn't so lucky. He tried to jump out of the way, but jumped too early, landing on the attack.

"Renas!" Yelled Marucho. The attack approached Preyas and Slight, the former too distracted by what just happened to Renas to observe the attack. Slight jumped over the attack, but Preyas didn't. He glowed, defeated.

"Marucho!" Said Slight as he began to fall. Slight caught him, but was then promptly defeated by another arc of lightning. Marucho landed on the ground and vanished. Teressmon was doing the best out of the group, jumping around the attack as it moved.

"This is easy!" She boasted. Then she landed on one of the arcs, defeating her.

"Teressmon!"

"This is too fun!" Said the Lord of Lightning. Energy crackled towards Drago, who dodged with a second to spare. The attack swished around, almost hitting Magnatron and hitting Skyress.

"No!" Yelled Shun. He fell, but landed on his feet. He still vanished. Mabel was caught by Janthide again. More energy crackled, hitting the Digimon as well. Rika, Henry, Suzie, Kenta and Kazu vanished. Cyberdramon and Guilmon vanished.

"Shun!" Shouted Dan. He looked at the Lord of Lightning. "That's it! You're finished!"

"As if, human!" Said the Lord of Lightning. Another beam of lightning went towards Drago, hitting him. Drago fell, defeated. Dan vanished in the air. "So many fallen, and only a few to go." The only ones left were Andrew, Cindy, Hanabi, Yuri, Takato, Ryo and Dipper, with his family. "Time for you two to go!" The Lord of Lightning fired at Magnaliger and Magnatron, defeating them. Andrew and Cindy vanished. A purple glow filled the arena, and the Pines vanished, except for Dipper.

"Where did they go?" Asked Dipper.

"Where all of the others who were left unable to fight went." Said the Lord of Lightning. "That leaves you five. Once I defeat you, I'll claim my prize of power!"

"As if!" Said Ryo. "We'll never let you win!"

"It's going to take more than what you've done so far to beat us!" Agreed Takato.

"And we know your weak spot!" Said Dipper.

"Do you?" Asked the Lord of Lightning.

"Why else would you wear a crown?" Asked Hanabi. "Toxigon!" Toxigon dove down, attempting to knock the crown off. But, she bounced off, almost as if the crown was protected. "What?"

"It's the chains!" Said Yuri. The Lord of Lightning shook Toxigon off, then blasted her with Lightning. Hanabi vanished with her.

"No!" Yelled Yuri. Hungeron charged in, and the Lord of Lightning fired at him. However, instead of falling defeated, Hungeron began to absorb the power the Lord of Lightning was sending out. His body was soon glowing from the power he had consumed.

"Hungeron, stop!" Yelled Yuri. Hungeron didn't stop and continued absorbing the power. "Please, stop!" The Lord of Lightning stopped firing, but Hungeron was already too far gone. He collapsed, then vanished along with Yuri. That left Takato, Ryo and Dipper.

"Your battle is lost." Said the Lord of Lightning. "Give up now and you'll be spared."

"Us? Give up?" Asked Ryo. "Funniest thing I've heard in a long time."

"Let's show him that we're not ones to be messed with!" Said Takato. Pyreon charged.

"Fools! You'll never defeat me!" Energy was shot out at Pyreon, but he dodged it. Takato jumped off at the Lord of Lightning and grabbed onto one of the chains. The Lord of Lightning thrashed his head, but Takato hung on. The chain broke, sending him flying.

"I've got you!" Said Pyreon. However, he was hit by an attack. He glowed, defeated, as Takato vanished.

"Takato!" Called Ryo.

"I'm going in!" Said Dipper. Janthide flew in and he jumped off, grabbing onto one of the chains. He quickly followed it to where it connected the crown to the Lord of Lightning's head. Dipper began pulling, but it wasn't budging.

"Feeble attempt, fool!" The Lord of Lightning thrashed his head again, but Dipper managed to hold on.

"I will not be beaten so easily!" He said. The connector was slowly coming out.

"You can do it!" Called Janthide. The connector came free, but Dipper went flying. Janthide got hit, making them both vanish.

"One connector left." Said Ryo. "Think we can do it?"

"Of course." Said Vladitor. "We have to!" He charged forward. The Lord of Lightning whipped his tail at Vladitor, who jumped over it. Ryo held on tightly as Vladitor jostled him.

"Stay away! You cannot win!" Vladitor continued his charge, making lots of ground. But, one stray bolt of lightning hit him. Ryo was flung forward, landing on the Lord of Lightning. Vladitor was shot back, defeated. Ryo recovered quickly and grabbed onto the last connection, pulling it out.

"Victory is mine!" Said the Lord of Lightning.

"Wanna bet?" Asked Ryo. The Lord of Lightning looked at him.

"What? How are you still here?"

"To be honest, I don't actually know." Said Ryo. "But I'm glad I am, because it gives me a chance to do this!" Ryo ran towards the crown, ramming into it. It vanished, revealing a bump on the Lord of Lightning's head. "And I think that's your weak spot!" The Lord of Lightning grabbed Ryo, and threw him back into the arena.

"You may have revealed it, but that doesn't mean that you can use it!" The Lord of Lightning shot down several bolts, creating electrical saws out of them that began heading towards Ryo.

"I might not have a partner with me now, but I'm still capable of fighting!" He said. His Attribute Wheel glowed, then a red M appeared inside of it. He began dodging the electrical saws, running towards the Lord of Lightning. His response was to fire more attacks, which Ryo continued to dodge. However, one of the saws came at him from behind, hitting him.

"This battle is over." Ryo got up. "What?"

"I told you, I'm still capable of fighting!" Shouted Ryo.

"Very well then. I cannot seem to deter you through my normal means. Time to do this!" The Lord of Lightning slammed his head down, sending energy at Ryo.

"It's time for me to figure this out!" Said Ryo. His M symbol glowed, and he jumped over the first wave. The next came towards him, and he jumped over it. The third one was coming in close, but Ryo spun in the air, extending his jump just long enough to avoid it. "How did I do that?" He asked as he landed. The Lord of Lightning growled.

"Stay away!" He sent out another set of waves, but Ryo was unrelenting. He continued jumping over the energy arc, continuing to get closer and closer. The Lord of Lightning's energy failed him, and his head stopped glowing. Ryo jumped onto him.

"I think I know what I need to do, but this is going to hurt!" Ryo jumped on top of his head.

"Please, don't!" Ryo ignored the Lord of Lightning and jumped one more time. "This is the end." Ryo curled into a ball, then shot straight down, landing on the bump. It crumpled inward, hurting the Lord of Lightning. He screeched as Ryo jumped off.

"Man, that hurt!" He yelled. The Lord of Lightning began to glow, then slammed down onto the Arena one more time. Everybody reappeared on the arena, in the reverse order of how they left. Ryo walked up to the Lord of Lightning.

"You have bested me. Congratulations. But, your trial is not over yet."

"Are you serious?" Asked Dan. "We went through all of that, and we're still not done?"

"The final part of this trial is a mystery. This one will push your knowledge to its limits, but if you answer correctly you shall be rewarded. Are you ready?"

"Any mystery is solvable. Give it to us." Said Ford.

"You have come from far and wide, yet you still do not seek the right prize. What was it that gave you your power? What was it that allied you together? What is it that you fight as one? These questions three, so bleak. All it takes to solve is a will and to think."

"That's easy!" Said Dan. "We've been brought together by a strange voice, who's giving us these trials. We were given out power by the Commander at the Infinity Matrix and we fight the Destruction as one!"

"Wrong on all three accounts." Said the Lord of Lightning.

"What?" Asked Dan.

"You jumped too quickly to assumptions, Dan." Said Ford. He looked at the Lord of Lightning. "We were brought together not be a strange voice, but a common need to work together. We have been given our power by not the Commander, but by the Realital Genes we now all hold. And finally, we fight not the Destruction itself, but we fight against what it brings, Destruction to all Realities." The Lord of Lightning looked closely at Ford.

"You are wise, but not yet wiser. Two accounts are right, but one remains."

"What could it be?" Asked Takato. "What question don't we have right? And what is its answer?"

"What about us just being together?" Asked Suzie. "Surely that has something to do with this!"

"Suzie, I don't think that's quite" started Henry. Suzie ran towards the Lord of Lightning. "Suzie!"

"Our power is given to us not by somebody, and not by something!" She said. "Our power is given to us just by us working together!"

"Correct." Said the Lord of Lightning. Henry looked at him.

"What?" He asked. "Suzie was actually right?" The Lord of Lightning glowed.

"You have passed your test of fourth. Go back and bring this new force forth." The area began to glow, then flashed back to the forest. The Lord of Lightning had returned to being a tiny dragon, which began to glow.

"Here we go again." Said Dipper. However, instead of growing, a form came out of the dragon. The light began to build up, creating a human form.

"It's her!" Said Mabel. "It's Cameron!" Cameron stopped glowing, and opened her eyes.

"What the? Where am I?" She asked. She looked around. "What the? This place isn't real! I, I saw it in a dream! It can't be real!"

"Relax, Cameron Rusher." Said the voice.

"Who said that?" Asked Cameron.

"I am the voice telling you of who you are and what you're doing here. You were trapped within the Lord of Lightning after wishing for a world away from the ordinary. The people you see before you helped to save you. You should recognize some of them, but you will learn of all of them soon. For now, though, a few things to keep in mind. You are to help with the defeat of the Destruction, and to help save all Realities. Now, turn to your teammates. Introduce yourself. Learn their names." In the woods, someone was hiding.

"She's the one to replace me, eh?" Asked the Fifth Shifter. "I'm surprised at how quickly they completed that trial. It took us weeks to defeat him! Although, I guess we did only have the five of us. Anyways I suppose she deserves a portion of my power. Enjoy it Cameron, you'll need it." Energy travelled from the Fifth Shifter to Cameron. Her hand glowed, showing a seven fingered hand before fading. "Good luck."

"Uh, I'm Cameron." Said Cameron. "But please, call me Cam. I've never fully liked my full name. The group introduced themselves. "What's Bakugan? What's Digimon? What's Yu-Gi-Oh? I know Gravity falls."

"Here we go again." Said Dan.

* * *

 _We've gotten four of the five we've needed, but the biggest trial is ahead. Who knows what it'll bring? And then, behind the scenes, we've got more problems galore as the Destruction and Spectra test out their new weapon! Our problems are only compounding as we head into the final trial. Will we make it through?_


	16. Final Trials

We're almost done with the trials, but things couldn't be worse elsewhere. Atom might have been able to finish teaching Garfield, but he's heading towards the biggest trial he's ever seen! But when you bring it back to us, we've still got one more to save, and we have our own battle. Here's hoping!

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

A Realital Gate appeared in front of Genesis Dragonoid and Atom came out of it, followed by Leonidas. "I see you have returned. Does Garfield know what he must do?"

"I think so." Said Atom. "But I have a question. You said I wouldn't be able to use my Shifter Abilities, yet I was perfectly capable. Why?" Genesis smirked.

"It was to ensure that you taught Garfield and didn't take over." Genesis sighed. "I've been watching you for years, you know. I know you would never purposely take over, but as he is now, Garfield is unable to fulfil what Venus had said about him. He needs to fully awaken his powers in order to finish the prophecy."

"So, you feared that if I knew I was capable of using my powers, I would inadvertently take over the Reality's prophecy?"

"Correct." Said Genesis. "But, there is slightly more to the story. I also knew that you had been to the Reality before."

"Well, to be honest, I never knew it was Invasion Core." Said Atom. "I just knew I was there for a reason, and I think Akane was that reason. I hope Akira will be able to find her."

"As do I, but that's not what I was talking about." Said Genesis. "I assume you recall the power that they were able to use, correct?"

"You're talking about Reversion, right?"

"Yes. And I think you know why I bring that up."

"Because we've visited Invasion Core, we're capable of achieving Reversion?" Asked Leonidas.

"Again, correct." Said Genesis. "And your Shifter Abilities are your key to unlocking it. If you had known you were capable of using them, you would've probably unlocked it, usurping Garfield from his destiny. That could not be allowed, which is why I told you that your Shifter Abilities wouldn't work. But, for now, there are more pressing issues. Two things are needed as of now. The first is you to help Clate overcome his darkness. He fears he is still tainted by the Destruction and that he is incapable of fighting it. The second is far more dangerous. The Destruction is heading towards Invasion Core."

"Wait, what?" Asked Atom. "Why?"

"It sensed your presence there." Said Genesis. "And, what's worse, is that Invasion Core is one of the last two protective Realities guarding the Prime Bakugan Reality. If it or the other falls, Bakugan will be vulnerable." Atom gasped.

"We won't let that happen!"

"Unfortunately, you're not capable of defeating it at Invasion Core, only delaying it. Garfield, however, has a Gene comparable to yours that is attuned to Invasion Core. If you can delay it long enough, Garfield will be able to finish what he needs to do. Then, you can summon him out of the Reality to help you."

"Sounds tough." Said Atom. "Think we can do it, Leo?"

"You bet!"

"But first, there is something else that is important for you to do. It's time for Clate's trial!" Atom glowed with Leo.

* * *

Spectra was preparing to head out again. "Are you certain that you understand your mission?" Asked the being.

"I have to test out Probability Helios to see how strong he is."

"Correct. Good luck." Spectra headed out and was sucked into a black portal. He appeared next to an isolated Reality. He looked at his data tablet.

"If he is correct, this should be the most recently corrupted Reality." He chuckled to himself. "It's amazing what our opposition doesn't know. He corrupts Realities, he doesn't destroy them." Spectra grabbed Probability Helios. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Pyrus Darkus Probability Helios!" The Helios that rose was unlike any other form. It looked similar to Infinity Helios, yet wildly different. For one, he was completely organic. On its chest was a pulsating shape, the same shape as an Infinity Die. The symbol on it was changing rapidly. Finally, it had the color scheme of Viper Helios. "Let's go, my pet. Ability, Activate! Destructive Chance!" The symbol stopped changing, stopping on an Egyptian Ha-di. A beam came out of the shape, aimed at the Reality. It bored through, then shot out the other side. The Reality began expanding, then exploded where the beam went through. Everything to the left vanished while everything to the right stayed strong. It slowly began to creep to the left.

* * *

Atom appeared inside of what seemed to be a cloud. "Where am I?"

"This is the realm of testing. This is where all of your allies are, unlocking their unique abilities." Said Genesis. "If you look down, you'll be able to see them." Atom looked down, seeing everybody.

"I don't recognize some of them. Who are they?"

"They are your new allies. They were saved by your original allies to help. Andrew was the first, followed by Cindy, then Hanabi with her brother Yuri. And finally, so far, Cameron. And no, not the Cameron from Invasion Core. What's more is that several of your friends have unlocked their abilities. Dan has some powers from Yu-Gi-Oh. Ryo has power from Mario. Takato and Dipper have power from Bakugan, and so on. But, it is the four I mentioned earlier that are strong. Andrew has an evolved form of your most powerful ability, known as Primal Split. Cindy is capable of combining Bakugan and Digimon using BakuDigitize. Hanabi has yet to unlock her ability, as does Cameron. But they all have one thing in common. They've been given power by the firsts, and have that relation to them."

"So, they're like us but more powerful?" Asked Atom.

"No." Said Genesis. "They have an equal ability set, but you five have far more power." Genesis looked to his right. "It is time. We shall come for all five of you soon." He vanished.

"Well, that was weird." Said Atom. "But I understand what he was saying, sort of." The cloud jostled a little. "What the?"

"Atom, is that you?" Asked someone.

"Azion?" One side of the cloud opened up, revealing Azion, Tom, Cassie and Chaos to Atom. Atom smiled. "Long time no see, guys."

"Easy for you to say!" Said Tom. "Where were you?"

"Remember Garfield?" Asked Atom. Azion and Tom nodded while Cassie and Chaos shook their heads. "Well, I was visiting his home Reality."

"Wait, what?" Asked Azion. "Why were you doing that?"

"I had to help him learn his Shifter Abilities, namely Dimensional Gates."

"So, that's why you were gone so long." Said Cassie. "Makes sense now."

"Have you been caught up on what's been happening?" Asked Tom. Atom nodded.

"Yep." He said. "So, who governed your trials?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Chaos.

"As in, who gave you the trial? I was given mine by Genesis Dragonoid." Azion gasped.

"You actually met him?"

"Yeah, but not causally. It was important."

"Well, my trial officiator was Omnimon." Said Azion.

"Mine was Arceus." Said Tom.

"Mine was The Axolotl." Said Cassie.

"I don't know the name of mine, but he seemed powerful." Said Chaos.

"So, it seems that we've been trialed by very strong beings." Said Leonidas. "So, the question is, why?" Everybody but Atom looked at him as if he wasn't real.

"Quick question." Said Tom. "Why do you have Leonidas with you?"

"Genesis brought him to me just before I went to Invasion Core." Said Atom. "I ended up in a pretty big battle there, so it was a good thing I had him with." The area began to glow. "Now what's happening?" All of them vanished from each other's sight.

* * *

A bright light shined above, and the entire group looked at it. "What is that?" Asked Dan.

"It looks like the light that we saw when Azion fought the Destruction." Said Henry. The glow was emanating from a very large cloud. Suddenly, the cloud vanished, revealing the source of the light. Nobody could quite make out who they were, but they could all see five beings. Without warning, they vanished, along with the light.

"What just happened?" Asked Mabel.

"Their final trial is upon them." Said the voice. "Just like yours is upon you. Be ready, for this is the hardest one."

"What do we have to do?" Asked Ford.

"Daniel is the final you must save, yet he faces the biggest bane. To find your way through this perilous plight, you must show him the light! Yet even though he may hear you, it may take a time or two. You must explain to him his role, before he finishes his stroll." The area began to glow.

"That's it? That's all you're telling us?" Asked Stand. The area changed. Several trees sank into the ground as people appeared. Sidewalks took form with benches, but the fountain remained the same. The group began to look around.

"What is this place?" Asked Dan.

"I would assume another testing world." Said Henry.

"Wherever it is, we need to hurry!" Said Terriermon. Someone walked past them, and looked at them.

"Huh, I've never seen you lot before." He said.

"Uh, who are you?" Asked Dipper.

"Me?" Asked the person. "I'm Daniel. And you?"

"We found him." Whispered Dan. "Now what?"

"Well, I'm waiting." Said Daniel. Nobody responded. "You know what, you guys are boring. See ya!" He continued walking.

* * *

Clate's vision was filled with darkness. He had the sensation of falling. "Please, make it stop!" He yelled. His vision was then filled with light, revealing he was on the ground. "What the? Where am I?"

"How should I know?" Asked the Subterra Bakugan. Clate looked at him and sighed.

"At least I have one friend here." He looked around. "But what are we doing here?"

"I'll tell you." Said a voice. Clate began looking around, trying to find the source. "Try up." Clate looked up. "Now do you see me?"

"No."

"Exactly." Said the voice. "You can't see me, not yet at least."

"Why am I here? And where is here?"

"Clate, Clate, Clate. Don't you know patience yet? You must know who you are before you can know the answers to those questions. Head south." A compass appeared in front of Clate,who grabbed it. It was pointing south, but the other three directions were south as well.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think this is how a compass is supposed to work."

"Oh, but that's how this one is supposed to work. You need to head south. You choose which south." Clate growled.

"What's with all the mystery?"

"It's as mysterious as you are. It's as knotted as you are. Until you know yourself better, that's as clear as it'll get." Clate sighed, then turned. He began walking.

* * *

"We have to catch him!" Said Runo. "Otherwise, we'll never be able to leave!"

"I'll go." Said Dan. "I'm the fastest here on foot."

"I'll go too." Said Shun. They started following Daniel.

"Okay, so who's going to go see what they're going to meet if Daniel's stroll ends?" Asked Henry.

"Rika?" Asked Renamon. Rika nodded and Renamon vanished.

* * *

Dan was approaching Daniel. "Hey! Wait up!" Daniel turned to him.

"Hold on, why are you following me?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Well, then come on! I'm not waiting for you." Daniel kept walking and Dan walked next to him. "So, who are you? I never got your name."

"My name is Dan."

"Similar to my name. Interesting. Anyways, what do you need to talk to me about?"

"About you." Said Dan. "There's something that you need to know."

"And that is?"

"Well, that's the thing. Do you know what you are?"

"I'm Daniel and I'm a human. What more do I need?" He coughed. "Stupid throat. Hold on." Daniel grabbed a bottle of water from his backpack and drank about half of it. "That's better. Anyways, you were saying?"

"Okay, I'm going to get right to the point. You're a Reality Shifter."

"A what?" Asked Daniel. He laughed. "Now I know you're kidding me! What's next? You're going to say you've travelled beyond time and space to find me?" He laughed harder.

"How'd you guess?" Asked Dan.

"I've already been told those stories, yet none of them check out. The people say they've been gone for years, but they've only been gone for minutes. Everything they say they've experienced is only shows or stories. Scientists have called them extreme power naps. People experience very powerful dreams that span years over a period of minutes. That's all there is to it."

"And what makes you say that?" Asked Dan. Shun jumped down.

"How many people have experienced the same thing?" He asked.

"Who are you?" Asked Daniel.

"My name is Shun. Now, back to my question."

"Right. Anyways, nobody has ever had the same dream as far as anybody knows." Daniel thought about something. "Although, there has been one common thing between all of them. An infinite number of lines of infinite colors. But that's it."

"Infinite lines?" Asked Dan.

"Infinite colors?" Asked Shun. "That's between Realities!" Daniel laughed.

"What a load of malarkey." He saw someone. "Hold on, I'll be right back." He walked to the person. "Long time no see, Olep."

"Same to you, Daniel."

"Olep?" Asked Dan. Olep grabbed Daniel's hand.

"Your mom is looking for you. Come on!" Daniel looked back to Dan and Shun.

"Sorry guys. We'll finish this chat later, okay?"

"Hold on a second!" Said Dan. Daniel began walking away with Olep. "Oh man, what are we going to do now?" Renamon appeared in front of them. "Gah!"

"Renamon?" Asked Shun.

"I have disturbing news."

* * *

Clate continued to follow the compass. "Where are we?" Asked the Subterra Bakugan.

"I'm not sure." Clate pushed a branch out of the way, revealing Cassie. "Cassie?"

"Clate?" Asked Cassie. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure." Said Clate. He sighed. "Maybe you can help me."

"With what?" Asked Cassie.

"It's a riddle that I've been given, and I don't know how to solve it."

"Oh?"

"Look, I know you're the best of the group at this kind of thing, so please, can you help me?"

"Lay it on me." Said Cassie. Clate recited the riddle he was given. "So, you need to know yourself before you can get answers. I think I know what needs to happen. You need to open up and let yourself know who you truly are." Clate instantly got an image of his dark self.

"No, I can't do that." He said.

"Well, then what are you going to do?" Asked Cassie. "The riddle specifically stated that you need to know yourself."

"But I do know myself." Argued Clate.

"But do you?" Asked Cassie. She sighed. "Come on. I think I know where the others are."

* * *

"What?" Yelled Dan. "Olep is who!?"

"Olep is, as I said, Daniel's bane." Said Renamon. "But as long as Daniel keeps moving, Olep is powerless. That's the key."

"So, what do we have to do?" Asked Shun.

"We need to stop Olep, and quick." Said Renamon.

"Let's get to it then!" Said Dan. He charged towards where Daniel and Olep went.

"Dan! Wait!" Said Shun. Dan didn't listen and kept charging. Shun looked at Renamon. "Head back to the others and tell them where we're going. I'll keep up with Dan." Renamon nodded and vanished. Shun vanished as well, following Dan.

* * *

"Where are you?" Asked Dan. He was running through the streets, trying to find Olep and Daniel. He looked to his left and saw Olep's head. "There you are!" Dan ran towards him. When he got there, he grabbed Olep. "Tell me where huh?" Daniel was nowhere to be seen. Olep laughed.

"Silly Kuso. I'm not as easy to catch as you think. Daniel is mine for the taking!" The Olep vanished.

"Darn! I thought I had them!" Dan thought of something. "Hold on, how did he know my last name?"

* * *

Cassie was leading Clate somewhere. "Where are you bringing me?"

"We've got to find the others." Said Cassie. "They'll be able to help." It began to get dark.

"Well, how are we going to find them in the dark?"

"Easy." Said Cassie. Her hand began to glow, and a flashlight came out of it. Clate was stunned as she turned it on. "Well, are you coming?"

"How did, what the?" Stammered Clate.

"It's a power I got for completing my trial." Said Cassie. "I had to learn how to use my own knowledge and not others." Clate looked at his hand, but didn't see anything. "Even though you don't have it yet, I'm certain that you can unlock it by completing this trial. And it has to do with you knowing who you truly are." Cassie pushed aside another branch, revealing Tom.

"Cassie?" Asked Tom. Cassie and Clate stepped forward. "And Clate? What the? What's going on?"

"Clate here is in a trial." Said Cassie. "At least, I think he is. Anyways, we're going to need your help. Think you can?"

"Of course." Said Tom. "And I know where Chaos fell too." Tom led the way. "Say, what's his trial about, anyways?"

"I believe it has to do with him knowing who he truly is." Said Cassie.

"Well, that should be easy." Said Tom. He looked at Clate. "So, who are you?"

"I'm Clate. What more do I need?"

"No, not your name." Said Tom. "I meant who are you, really? You know, inside?" Clate again remembered his dark self.

"I, I can't go into details."

* * *

Dan continued to run, but every time he found an Olep the same things happened. "Ugh! This is getting annoying! Show yourself!" Shun jumped down, surprising Dan.

"Dan, you can't go about it like this." Said Shun. "There has to be a better way."

"He's right." Said Drago. "Every single time you think you have him, it's just another clone."

"Clones?" Asked Shun. "I think I know what to do." He jumped up again and grabbed a few things from his pocket. He looked quickly and saw several Oleps around. He took aim, and launched the ninja stars at all of them. All but one vanished. The one that remained rubbed the back of his head and looked down. He grabbed the star, then began running. Someone followed him. "This way!" Said Shun. He began jumping from light post to light post while Dan ran below.

"Where is he?" Asked Dan. Olep looked back.

"Looks like we have some stalkers." He said. "You ready to fight?"

"Why else would be teamed up?" Asked Daniel. "Let's head to one of the battle grounds."

"You got it." The two took a quick right, nearly losing Dan and Shun and continued on.

* * *

Tom, Cassie and Clate came up to a large river. "How are we going to get across this?" Asked Clate.

"Easy." Said Tom. "Time for a nice Frozen Wind!" A freezing gale swept across the water, freezing it quickly. Clate gasped.

"How did you do that?"

"It's the ability I got for completing my trial." Said Tom. "I can summon and create Pokemon moves. Come on, let's get going!" The trio crossed the river and walked through a small pathway to find Chaos. "There he is!"

"What are you guys doing here?" Asked Chaos.

"Trying to find you." Said Tom. "We need some help with Clate. Do you know where Azion or Atom are?"

"Unfortunately, no." Said Chaos. "I don't know."

"The trail's run cold." Said Cassie. She thought of something. "Hold on. Clate, how did you find me?"

"Using this." Said Clate. He held out the compass and Cassie grabbed it. "Hey!" The compass dismantled itself. "What did you do?"

"Seems like it's targeting our Omega Genes." Said Cassie. The compass reformed. "Take another look at it." She handed it back to him.

"Uh, okay." Clate took another look at it and saw the hand was pointing in a specific direction. "I think it's this way." He began walking.

* * *

"So, any idea where they're going?" Asked Dan.

"Not a clue." Said Shun. They were still chasing Daniel and Olep. Suddenly, they broke from the crowd, entering an empty space. Dan looked around and saw Daniel and Olep.

"There they are! Get back here!" Dan rushed at them.

"Dan, wait!" Said Shun. Dan stopped and looked at him. "We need to explain to him who he is, not force him to come with us!"

"What are you talking about?" Asked Daniel. "I'm me, and that's all I need!"

"You're not welcome here, trying to poison his mind!" Said Olep. "Those dreams others were having are of no consequence. They are just that; dreams."

"Wanna bet?" Asked Dan. "We can prove they aren't dreams!"

"Is that so?" Asked Daniel. "Then by all means, prove it! There's nothing you can say or do to make me believe!"

"You sure about that?" Asked Ryo. Everybody else had just arrived.

"All of you? Again?" Asked Daniel. "Enough of this! We're taking you guys down!" He and Olep grabbed something off their belts. "Ready Olep?"

"You know it!" They threw the items, revealing them to be balls. They opened up and spewed out light. One of the lights transformed into a Charizard while the other transformed into a Dragonite. "Give up now, leave us alone, and we won't mop the floor with ya!"

"Who says you'll be able to?" Asked Teressmon.

"Who said that?" Asked Daniel.

"I did." Teressmon floated over to him.

"What are you?"

"I'm a DigiBakugan."

"Bakugan?" Asked Daniel. He held his head as if in pain. "No, impossible! There's no such thing! Go away, figment of my imagination!" He swatted at Teressmon.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Asked Guilmon. "Teressmon isn't a fly!" Daniel looked at him as if Guilmon was an alien.

"No. It can't be, it's just can't be!" He held his head again. "Bakugan and Digimon. What's next? Yu-Gi-Oh?"

"What are you going on about?" Asked Olep.

"Yeah, we're from Yu-Gi-Oh!" Said Hanabi. "Right brother, darling?"

"You bet! We can even show you our cards!" Yuri held up his deck. Daniel held his head again.

"Impossible. All these memories, flooding into me! Those dreams, were they dreams or did they actually happen? I can't keep my thoughts straight!"

Olep looked angrily at everybody but Daniel. "What do you think you're doing? Stop putting lies into his head!"

"They're not lies!" Said Ford. "Just look at the proof! All of us, with everything we are standing for! We are all from different Realities, and everybody here is a Reality Shifter, except you!" Those last words hit Daniel hard.

"Everybody here, except Olep, is a Reality Shifters?" His head began throbbing as memories were flooding in. "I've been living a lie for the past two years of my life!" He glared at Olep. "And it's all your fault!"

* * *

"I think we're getting close." Said Clate. He took another step, and almost stepped off a cliff. Chaos grabbed him before he fell.

"Careful." He looked across the landscape below. "I think I can rectify this situation."

"No, let me!" Said Cassie. "Tech is better than Magic!"

"Guys, really? I'm the best for this problem." Said Tom. Clate looked at his compass again, then back to everybody else with him. He looked back at the cliff, and realized something.

"Hold on!" He yelled. Cassie, Chaos and Tom looked at him. "This is a trial, right? So it's something that I have to do, alone." Clate turned towards the cliff.

"Clate, you're never alone." Said Cassie. "No matter who you are, you should never be alone." Clate looked at her.

"I'm sorry, but I need to do this part alone." He took a step towards the cliff, then another.

"Clate! No!" Yelled Cassie. Clate walked off the cliff, but didn't fall.

"What the?" Asked Chaos.

"I figured this was the case." Said Clate. He looked up. "Your tricks don't work on me! Don't forget, I have different abilities than those of my friends!" The illusion broke, revealing just a forest and no cliff. Azion was in a clearing.

"About time you guys got here." He said. He saw Clate. "Clate? Oh, I get it. This is your trial, isn't it?"

"What special ability are you going to show me?" Asked Clate. Azion shook his head.

"As much as I would want to, I haven't yet unlocked it. Apparently, my arrogance still needs more control." Chaos chuckled.

"Wouldn't be the first time."

"Do you want me to lead you to Atom or not?" Asked Azion. "Your choice."

"Let's get going." Said Clate. "And quickly, before I have to reveal what I'm afraid of." He thought.

* * *

"You're the reason I've forgotten everything I've done!" Said Daniel. He stood up. "You're not my friend, you're an enemy! Who are you?" Olep chuckled a little.

"I should've known I couldn't keep it set in stone. Yes, I am not who you think I am. However, I am not your enemy. They are."

"How so?" Asked Dan.

"Yeah!" Said Marucho.

"All you've done is lie to him since the beginning!" Added Rika.

"Yes, but"

"And what makes you think I'll believe you now?" Asked Daniel.

"Because, your true enemy is above." Said Olep. "I was just a distraction. He is your enemy." Daniel looked up.

"No flipping way!" He yelled.

* * *

"I remember Atom landing somewhere around here." Said Azion. He pushed another branch out of the way, revealing Clate's starting spot.

"Wait a second, this is where I started!"

"Yes, it is." Said Atom, walking up. "But it is also where this trial will end."

"Atom?" Asked Cassie. "What are you talking about?"

"It's easy. We've been collected together to help him through his trial."

"How so?" Asked Chaos. "And what even is his trial?" Atom frowned.

"Unfortunately, I cannot say. Despite the fact that I know what he must do, only he can admit it." Atom pointed at Clate. "Clate, trust me, it will be better if you just let it out. Stop hiding what's happening from all of us!"

"If you don't, the results will be disastrous!" Agreed Leo.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Said Clate.

"But you do." Said Atom. "You know, I used to be like you. But when I opened up, I found more friends. You need to do the same, before it's too late."

* * *

"Who is that?" Asked Mabel.

"Who am I?" Asked the person floating above. "Why, I'm the one who is going to defeat all of you in one fell swoop!"

"It's you! The one who trapped me here!" Said Daniel.

"Quite right. And I bet you know who I am, do you not? I am you, just as you are me. I am your opposite. I am Kirdua!" Kirdua landed. "And now, to make the other vanish!"

"You'll never beat me!" Said Daniel. "Especially now that I know what I am once again!"

"Wanna play that way? Fine by me. Prepare yourself, Daniel, for the hardest fight of you life!"

* * *

"But, I can't." Said Clate.

"You need to, before it swallows you whole." Said Atom.

"Clate, what aren't you telling us?" Asked Azion.

"I, I"

"Just tell us." Said Cassie. "We're your friends."

"But"

"You'll never have to fear us leaving you for anything." Said Chaos. "You are one of us."

"You guys"

"If you can't admit what's wrong, then we can't help you." Said Tom.

"I, but I"

"You have to trust us!" Said Atom. His hand with the triangle began to, then Clate followed suit.

"I, I fear that I may still be connected to the Destruction, and that I might go back to it if I face it." Darkness began to leak out of the light surrounding him.

"What's going on?" Asked Azion.

"This is his trial." Said Atom. "He must face what he fears most, his dark self. And he must do so quickly. If we take too long, the Destruction will destroy Invasion Core!"

* * *

"So Daniel, what do you say? Are you ready to play?"

"You bet I"

"He's not fighting!" Said Marucho. "We are! You're a parasite that's going to drain him dry if he fights you! I, for one, will not let that happen!"

"You wish to fight?" Asked Kirdua. "Don't make me laugh! You don't even have the ability of this Reality to do face me!"

"So?" Asked Marucho. "That won't stop me from helping others!" Marucho's hand glowed, and a pokeball appeared inside of his Attribute Wheel. Kirdua gasped.

"So, you are the Shifter of Bakugan and Pokemon. Very well, let us begin!" He stepped forward. "That is, unless you're too scared to fight." Marucho stepped forward.

"You'll never scare me away!"

* * *

The darkness took form across from Clate, behind Atom. He stopped glowing, followed by Atom's hand. "Clate is a special Shifter. He was born from darkness, yet converted to light. However, he still harbors a powerful evil within himself. And it is one he must face." The darkness stopped coming out of Clate and coagulated behind Atom. It took the form of another Clate, but made out of pure darkness. Azion, Cassie, Chaos and Tom all got ready to fight. "This is Clates fight." Said Atom. "And only his fight." He looked at Clate. "You might be scared, you might be worried, but we're all behind you all the way!" Clate gasped. "Now go, face your fear." Atom stepped out of the way.

"So, this is what we've been reduced to?" Asked Dark Clate. "Such a shame. And to think that you used to be able to help destroy entire Realities! What a waste on someone as weak as you."

"I don't know what you think I might be, but I know that you are not me!" Said Clate.

* * *

"So, little boy, are you ready to fight?" Asked Kirdua. "Because I know I am!"

"You remind me of an old enemy of ours named Shadow Prove. I wonder if you'll be as easy to beat!"

"Oh, bold words. But without the foundation to hold them, they will crumble." Kirdua grabbed a ball. "I choose you, Clonusium!" A creature not unlike a ditto appeared, yet it had some major differences.

"Okay, we'll take you on!" Said Marucho. "Ready Preyas?"

"You know it!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Marucho. "Bakugan, Stand!" Preyas rose, but was not much taller than anybody else around. "Huh?"

"Hey, what gives?" Asked Preyas.

Kirdua laughed. "Sorry, but you're just not powerful enough to maintain your true size here, especially since he doesn't know the true power he holds!"

"True power?" Asked Marucho.

"Not strong enough?" Asked Preyas.

"Enough talk." Said Kirdua. "Time for action! Clonusium! Change into Preyas!" Clonusium glowed, and changed into Preyas, but completely blue.

"What?" Yelled Marucho. A Bakumeter appeared on Kirdua's wrist.

"And now for part two! Ability Activate! Blue Squall!" Clonusium attacked Preyas, dealing lots of damage. Marucho looked at his Bakumeter to see a health bar for the Preyases instead of the Life Gauge. "I probably should've mentioned that. You see, we're battling under Pokemon rules, not Bakugan rules!" Marucho looked surprised.

"I've never battled like this before! What do I do?"

"I'll guide you." Said Daniel.

"Huh?"

"I've been here for the past two years." Said Daniel. "If anybody knows what's going on, I do." He glanced at the battle. "Okay, so Clonusium is a very powerful Pokemon, capable of cloning his opponent in its entirety. However, that doesn't mean that Kirdua knows how to use it effectively."

"This is getting boring. Ability Activate! Aquos Guardian!" Clonusium charged Preyas again, this time dealing more damage. Marucho looked at the health gauges and saw that Preyas's went to empty.

"I don't know, but I feel kinda weak." Said Preays. He glowed, defeated.

"One down, two to go." Said Kirdua. "Choose wisely."

* * *

"I believe it is time we settled this." Said Dark Clate. "If I win, I take over once again and we rejoin the Destruction."

"Fine. But when I win, you leave me forever!" Said Clate.

"Then the deal is struck." Said Dark Clate.

"This is bad." Said Tom. "If Clate loses,"

"He won't lose." Said Atom. "I have faith in him." The two took paces away from each other.

"This ends here" started Clate.

"And now!" Finished Dark Clate.

* * *

 _The battles are raging, and both need to be won. What skills will it take, and who must sacrifice? Marucho is facing against someone that can copy his strategies, while Clate is literally facing himself! If either lose, everything is lost. But, if both win, we will have a chance! We must prevail!_


	17. Escape to Reality

The time is now. Clate is fighting the evil within himself and Marucho is freeing Daniel from his bane. However, nothing else is peaceful. The Destruction is edging ever closer to Invasion Core, with the intent to destroy it to gain access to Bakugan! We have very little time, so we must make the most of it!

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Atom's signal vanished from the sensors. "Sir, we just lost Atom!"

"Well, what else is new?" Grumbled the Commander. "Is there anything new in the Reality?"

"Well, Garfield was able to open a Dimensional Gate." Said Syark. "That has to mean something, right?"

"If I had to guess, Atom taught him how." Said Claip. "Why else would he have been sent there?" The Commander sighed.

"That's beside the point right now. What's the status on the Destruction?"

"Still approaching the Reality, no change in velocity. If we're lucky, it'll take another fifteen hours to get there."

"Then that's fifteen hours we'll have to hold it off." Said the Commander. He turned to Claip. "Get the propulsors ready."

"But sir, we haven't moved in over"

"I said get them ready!" Said the Commander. "We must hurry! Without the five there, we have to protect Invasion Core! If it falls, everything crumbles with it." Claip nodded.

"Understood sir. I'll have them ready within the hour." He hurried off.

"Syark, prepare a general quarters. I want everybody ready for battle by the time we get there."

"On it." A small alarm went off. The Commander grabbed the mic for the intercom.

"All hands, be ready! We're getting the Infinity Matrix moving to protect a Reality! All hands on deck! I want all weapon systems on standby and our specialists in Bakugan, Digimon, Magic, Pokémon and Gravity Falls all prepared to face the Destruction. I repeat, all hands be ready!" Everybody aboard the Infinity Matrix got moving.

* * *

Setne was looking through the Book of Thoth when the being entered the room. "How's your search coming?"

"I've made some progress, being that I've removed some possibilities. But I'm no closer to finding a spell to bring me back to life."

"Well, keep looking. You're bound to find something." Setne found something intriguing. He glossed over it, worriedly.

"If this is right," he thought. He shivered involuntarily.

"What's wrong?" Asked the being.

"Nothing, just a chill." Lied Setne.

"Keep up your search. As soon as you find it, you'll be back to life." The being left.

"Maybe it won't be such a bad idea to ask for help against this guy." Thought Setne. "If this is right, then I'm doing the opposite of what I want."

* * *

Clate stared down his dark half. He grabbed a card. "Gate Card, Set!" It expanded in a brown glow. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand!" The Subterra Bakugan rose.

"You are done tormenting Clate!" It appeared to have the body of Cycloid, but was armored like a Siege. He also carried a large hammer that looked similar to Gorem's. "I am Subterra Reginas, and you are done!"

"As if." Said Dark Clate. As dark cloud formed in his hand. "Time for me to call upon my strength! Bakugan, Brawl!" The cloud collapsed and got shot. "Bakugan, Stand! Rise Mythical Leonidas!" A dark form of Leonidas rose.

"It can't be!" Said Leonidas.

"It's the clone we fought when we first met Clate." Said Atom. Dark Clate laughed.

"You'd be amazed at what you never got to see, Atom." He said. "After I win, I'll show you!"

"As if you're going to win!" Said Clate.

"Oh, I think I will." Said Dark Clate. "Ability, Activate! Infinity Strike!" Dark Leonidas charged forward.

"I think not." Said Clate. "Ability Activate! Hammer Swing-Back!" Reginas swung his hammer, hitting Dark Leonidas's hand. The attack faltered. Clate looked at the Gs to see that they were equal.

"That won't stop me!" Said Dark Clate. "Ability Activate! Mythical Wave!" The attack was sent at Reginas, knocking him back a bit. "Ability Activate! Blinding Haos Speed!" Dark Leonidas again attacked, placing him at 500 Gs ahead. However, Reginas didn't falter. Despite Dark Leonidas's best attempts, Reginas didn't budge.

"Now Clate!"

"Ability Activate!" Said Clate. "Just Retribution!" Reginas drew his fist back and punched Dark Leonidas. He was sent flying back as the Gs switched, placing Reginas 500 ahead. "What was that you said about winning?"

"Oh, I'm not done yet!" Said Dark Clate. He raised a new ability. "Ability Activate! Dark Reversal!"

"I don't remember that Ability!" Said Atom. The 500 Gs transferred back, then another 500 Gs transferred.

"That's because it's not one of yours." Said Dark Clate. "You of all people should know that it's possible to make new cards for any Bakugan!" Dark Clate laughed. "Now Leonidas!" Dark Leonidas charged forward.

* * *

"If you think you're going to stop us, you're dead wrong!" Said Marucho.

"Wanna bet?" Asked Kirdua. "The way I see it, I have every advantage."

"Marucho." Whispered Daniel. "Do you have anything with abilities that he can't copy?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Marucho.

"Clonusium uses the abilities of his opponent against them. If you have something with an ability that it can't copy"

"I get it now!" Said Marucho. He grabbed Slight. "Bakugan, Brawl! Rise Slight!" Slight rose.

"Clonusium, Transform!" Said Kirdua. Clonusium changed into Slight. "Ability Activate! Crashing Wave!"

"Wanna bet?" Asked Marucho. His Attribute Wheel glowed. "Form Change! Haos!" Slight turned Haos. "Ability Activate! Blinding Reversal!" The wave approached Slight, who glowed brightly. It stopped, then reversed, heading towards Clonusium. Kirdua grinned slightly.

"Time for me to summon upon my power! Form Change! Haos!" Clonusium changed to Haos. "Ability Activate! Blinding Reversal!" The wave again stopped, but started heading towards Slight once again. "Ability Activate! Glowing Boost!" Clonusium glowed brightly and the wave grew in size. It crashed down onto Slight, draining his life gauge, defeating him.

"Didn't expect that." Said Slight as he returned to Marucho.

"Down to one." Said Kirdua. "I probably don't even have to worry. Go ahead, send out your best! I'm waiting!"

* * *

Reginas kept blocking with his hammer as Dark Leonidas continued to attack. "I'm running out of options here!" He said.

"Face it, this battle is lost!" Said Dark Clate. Dark Leonidas threw another punch, sending Reginas back.

"I'm never going to give up!" Said Clate. "You used to be me, but no more! I am not going back to you!"

"Then prove it." Said Dark Clate.

"Ability Activate!" Said Clate. "Crushing Blow!" Reginas gained 500 Gs and hit Dark Leonidas backwards. "Ability Activate! Earthquake!" The ground rumbled under Dark Leonidas, knocking him over. He lost 300 Gs. "Ability Activate! Core Rotation!" Reginas began spinning and rushed Dark Leonidas. Dark Leonidas got continuously hit and lost another 400 Gs. "Still think you got this in the bag?"

"I beg to differ." Said Dark Clate. "Unlike you, I'm not afraid to take chances!" He rose an evil looking card.

"What the?" Asked Azion. "I've never seen that kind of card before."

"That's because this category never existed before." Said Dark Clate. The card began to glow. "Think of it as the big brother of Forbidden Cards!" Atom gasped.

"This is bad!"

"Ability Activate!" Said Dark Clate. "Destructive Revelry!" He threw the card, and it expanded in size. It covered Dark Leonidas, who growled. The card bound tightly over him, and glew brighter. The card began to distort as the form under it began to grow. Everybody could only watch as Dark Leonidas seemed to grow stronger and larger. The card began to lift up, revealing that his legs had become veiny, similarly to how the Forbidden Cards did. However, they continued to bulk up, seeming to gain speed as they went. The card continued to creep higher, revealing more and more of Dark Leonidas. The card soon vanished, fully revealing him. His core was glowing brightly, his veins were popping out everywhere. His core continued pulsating, as if sending even more power out. "This is the end for you, Clate! The Destruction will reign supreme!"

* * *

"Looks like I'm down to Renas." Thought Marucho. He looked at him. "I just have to hope for the best!" Then he mentally slapped himself. "Of course!"

"If you're not going to send out anybody, then stop wasting my time." Said Kirdua.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Marucho. "Bakugan, Stand! Rise Renas!"

"Finally!" Said Kirdua. "Clonusium, Transform!" Clonusium changed into a mirror copy of Renas. "Time for me to use your best against you!" Kirdua tried to activate an ability. "Hold on, what's wrong? Why aren't there any abilities?"

"That's the thing about Renas!" Said Marucho. "He doesn't have any abilities of his own. Instead, he can use others abilities!" Marucho looked back to the group. "You guys ready?"

"You bet!" Said Dan.

* * *

"What kind of card is that?" Asked Clate. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"This would be a Destructive Card." Said Dark Clate. "They are a superior form of the Forbidden Cards, granting far more power. The only problem is that the Bakugan in question will be destroyed at the end. Luckily, being a minion of the Destruction, I can always summon any creature copied by a Negative Shifter!" Dark Leonidas roared and got larger. "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that his power is still growing." Dark Leonidas grew a little. "It's filling him up like a liquid, and every time he's full" Dark Leonidas grew again. "That happens. Face it, your defeat is imminent. Especially after I use this card!" He held up another Destructive Card. "Ability Activate! Unified Elements!" The card covered Dark Leonidas again, but pulled back a lot faster. When it pulled back completely, Dark Leonidas had changed colors to reflect all six attributes. "Unified Elements is an ability that prevents any Attributed ability from damaging my Bakugan and makes my Bakugan's gains in power multiply tenfold!" Dark Leonidas began growing consistently. "Good luck beating that!"

* * *

Kirdua was fuming. He was going to lose his first battle just because his opponent couldn't attack on its own! "I think I'm ready now." Said Marucho. He looked at the cards he had gotten from his friends. "Time to do this!" He grabbed his Baku-Power. "DigiAbility Activate! Tauros Hammer!" Renas generated a brown light that took the form of Gorem's hammer. He threw it at Clonusium. It hit, dealing a significant amount of damage to it. Kirdua looked worriedly at the battle. "Keep the pressure on Renas! DigiAbility Activate! Saber Glowcer!" Renas generated yellow claws from his hands and struck Clonusium. Its life gauge fell to critical.

* * *

Dark Leonidas was still growing, getting more and more powerful. Clate was scrambling through his cards, trying to figure something out, but nothing came to him. "Face it, you're finished!" Said Dark Clate. Clate stopped looking through his cards.

"He's right. I can't beat him." He sank to his knees. "It's hopeless!" That got Atom moving.

"And why is it hopeless?" He asked.

"The odds are insurmountable. I've got no chance!" Said Clate. Tears began coming down his face.

"I have a question for you." Said Atom. "If he can make cards, why can't you?" Clate looked up. "He is using a power that is shared between you, right? So what's stopping you from using it?" Clate sniffled.

"I'm afraid." He said. "I'm afraid that if I use my power, I won't be able to resist his darkness. I'm afraid of going back to the Destruction. I'm afraid of losing myself." He continued crying, but his hand began to glow.

"What's this?" Asked Dark Clate. The glow took on a brown light. "No! It cannot be!" Clate wiped his eyes.

"I'm afraid of losing myself to darkness, but only because I don't want to become you!" He proclaimed. He stood back up. "You are the very image of what I wish to prevent! You are the me who will try to destroy everything!" The glow enveloped Clate. "I will not allow that!" His hand glowed brighter, and a card came out of it. "Time for my Ability! Ability Activate! Entropy Reduction!" Reginas glowed with a bright, yellow light. "Entropy Reduction is part of another new category of abilities. I think I'll call them the Creation Abilities. But, for now, Reginas!"

"On it!" The glow encompassed Reginas's hands, and he charged in.

"Fools! You cannot defeat me!" Said Dark Clate. "I am the more powerful one! I will win this day!"

"Sorry, but that's not true." Said Clate. "You are a shadow of who I truly am. You will never defeat me! And this is proof of that!" Reginas jumped at Dark Leonidas. "Now!"

"Your time is over!" Yelled Reginas. Reginas struck Dark Leonidas, who instantly shrunk down to his normal size. But, just after that, he vanished. Dark Clate's body began to dissolve as his gauge hit zero.

"Impossible. I, I never lose! You cheated!"

"I didn't cheat." Said Clate. "We were on an equal field. I just had more to fight for." Dark Clate yelled in defiance as he vanished. "And that's the end of that." The area began to glow, then slowly dissolved to white.

* * *

"DigiAbility Activate!" Said Marucho. Two purple heads appeared on Renas. "Trident of Doom!" The attack rocketed at Clonusium, defeating it. Kirdua looked on in shock before vanishing.

"This isn't over!" Echoed around. Renas returned to Marucho, who looked at the rest of the group.

"Well, that was fun." He said. Nobody noticed someone nearby.

"You have truly rediscovered yourself." Said the Fourth Shifter. A small glow emerged from him and went into Daniel. A Master Ball appeared on his hand, but vanished just as quickly. "Good luck." The surrounding area slowly lost all color and turned white. Everybody began looking around.

"What's going on?" Asked Dan.

"We did it!" Said Mabel. "We saved Daniel!"

"Indeed, you did." Said the voice. "And now, the next step is to realign all of our forces. That means one thing."

"We're being reunited with our teammates?" Asked Takato.

"Sort of." Atom, Azion, Tom, Chaos, Cassie and Clate appeared around them, in their Attribute positions on an Attribute Wheel. One appeared under them.

"What's going on?" Asked Shun.

"We have tested your friends, and helped four of them unlock their abilities." Said Atom. He began glowing yellow.

"Atom?" Asked Dan. "What's going on?"

"We have taken the appearance of your friends to communicate to you." Said the Azion look alike. He glowed as well, but red.

"Taken the form of them?" Asked Rika.

"All of the trials have been passed. Now the real battle begins." Said the Tom look alike. He glowed blue.

"The five who have been saved from their curses are similar to these five." Said the Chaos look alike. He glowed purple. "But many differences will cause disarray."

"The time is now for them to meet, and to understand each other when they greet." Said the Cassie look alike. She glowed green.

"However, Clate will return to you within a minute." Said the Clate look alike. "He has dissolved his own darkness and now will not fear it." He glowed brown.

"May all of your visions become one." Said all six. Andrew, Cindy, Hanabi, Daniel and Cam all began glowing, followed by their partners. A small ball appeared next to Cam, and began to glow green. Then, Slight, Pyreon, Janthide, Vladitor and Dragonomon began to glow. All of them vanished. In the next instant, Clate appeared before them.

"What the?" Asked Clate. "What just happened?"

"Why don't you tell us?" Asked Ford. "We've been separated for how long now?"

* * *

Atom, Azion, Cassie, Chaos and Tom all appeared next to a fountain." Where are we?" Asked Atom.

Cassie looked around. "It's the fountain." She said.

"Hm?" Asked Azion. "Hey, you're right! This is where everybody else was."

"But what are we doing here?" Asked Tom.

"It must be another trial." Said Chaos. "But why are we having it?" Several more forms began to appear. Andrew, Cindy, Hanabi, Daniel and Cam all appeared before them. Slight, Pyreon, Vladitor and Janthide all appeared on their partner's shoulders. Dragonomon appeared next to Azion.

"Whoa!" Said Andrew. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. Cindy, Hanabi and Daniel did the same. Cam, however, looked directly at the fountain. None of them could see Atom, Azion, Cassie, Chaos or Tom, and vice versa.

"Greetings, all of you." Said a voice.

"Genesis Dragonoid." Said Atom and Andrew.

"This is the final trial." Said another voice.

"Omnimon." Said Azion and Cindy.

"This is where everything comes together." Said a third voice.

"Arceus." Said Tom and Daniel.

For better or worse, this is it."

"Axolotl." Said Cassie and Cam.

"This is where all of you must meet on the field of battle against your strongest opponents." Said a final voice. "You must prevail to succeed!"

"That voice." Said Hanabi. "It can't be." The five beings appeared, in the order that they spoke.

"You are not fighting each other." Said a sixth voice. "You are to become allied with each other through the heat of battle." The sixth being appeared, and both groups could see each other. A new form took shape in front of them. "We wish you luck, for you will need it." The form solidified, revealing Spectra.

"This should be interesting." Said Spectra.

"This is it." Said Atom.

"This is the trial where we succeed or fail." Said Chaos.

"We'll have to work together with them." Said Cassie, signifying Andrew, Cindy, Hanabi, Cam and Daniel.

"Who are you guys?" Asked Andrew. "I've never seen you before."

"Whoever they are, we have to work with them." Said Hanabi. "It is the only way forward."

"Here's hoping!" Said Cam. She noticed something on her shoulder. "Huh? What's that?"

"That's a clone of Janthide for you to use in this battle." Said Axolotl. "Do not worry, it will not harm you."

"Okay then!" Said Cam. "Let's do this!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Spectra. "Bakugan, Stand! Rise Probability Helios!" Probability Helios rose.

"What the heck happened to him?" Asked Azion. Cassie and Cam noticed something in his chest.

"Oh no, it's an" started Cassie.

"Infinity Die." Finished Cam. "That means that"

"He can do anything!" Finished Cassie. The two looked at each other. "Let's try not to do that again."

"Yeah, I agree." Said Cam.

"Come and face your nightmare!" Said Spectra. Helios roared.

"Okay guys, let's do this!" Said Atom. "Bakugan, Brawl!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Azion.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Chaos.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Cassie.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Tom.

"You heard the man!" Said Andrew. "Bakugan, Brawl!"

"With you all the way!" Said Cindy. "Bakugan, Brawl!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Hanabi.

"Bakugan, Brawl?" Asked Cam.

"Well this is unfair." Said Daniel. "I don't have one."

"Use your Pokémon." Said Arceus.

"Okay, I like that idea!" Said Daniel. "I choose you Charizard!" A Charizard appeared on the battlefield.

"Bakugan, Stand!" Said Tom, Cassie, Hanabi, Andrew, Cindy, Cam and Azion.

"Baku-Sky Raider, Jump!" Said Atom and Chaos.

"Descend Darkus Magnatron!"

"Rise Pyrus Magnaliger! Let's go Crocolomon!"

"Light them up Haos Mythical Leonidas!"

"Poison their day Darkus Toxigon!"

"Burn them to the ground Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon! Join the fray Dragonomon!"

"Darken their day Darkus Doomic Vladitor!"

"Drown them Aquos Tsunami Slight!"

"Blow them away Ventus Windstorm Janthide!" Said Cassie and Cam.

"We really need to stop doing that." Said Cassie. Everybody glared at the battle.

"That's where you're wrong." Said Atom. "You are not our nightmare!"

"This battle is the battle that will show us the way!" Agreed Andrew.

"Are you all willing to battle alongside us?" Asked Magnatron.

"I don't think there is a single being here besides them that would say no." Said Leonidas.

"Ability, Activate!" Said everybody except Daniel and Spectra.

"Blinding Haos Speed!"

"Fire Welder!"

"Crashing Wave!"

"Demolition Hammer!"

"Tornado Watch!"

"Stardust Lancer!"

"Power Pounce!"

"Poison Jab Barrage!" Said Hanabi.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

"Igneo Sphere!" Said Dragonomon.

"Predator Jab!" Said Crocolomon. All the attacks went towards Probability Helios.

"Ability, Activate!" Said Spectra. "Attribute Roulette!" The area flashed several colors, quickly changing. "This ability will allow me to change the attributes of every Bakugan here excluding Helios! Even Digimon and Pokémon are affected!" The area glowed blue. "And it looks like Aquos is the attribute of choice." Everybody except Slight turned Aquos, and all of the attacks except his faltered, deactivating. The Crashing Wave continued on, ramming into Probability Helios.

"What?" Asked Andrew. He looked at his cards. "We don't have Aquos Abilities!"

"Precisely." Said Spectra. "Ability Activate! Power Roulette!" Everybody began to glow. "This ability will draw a random amount of power from all fighting beings except Helios, and adds it to his power!" Helios glowed Red and Purple. "Try facing him now!"

"You think that's going to stop us?" Asked Azion. "You forget that we're Shifters! We have abilities beyond the normal!" He grabbed a card. "Ability Activate! Water Dashing!"

"Ability Activate!" Said Atom. "Hydro Regulator!" Leonidas spewed more water, adding to Pyreon's attack. The area glowed again.

"Sorry, but every time an attack is brought against Helios, the Attribute Roulette reactivates!" The area continued glowing blue. "A one in six shot, and it goes Aquos again?" Pyreon crashed into Helios, knocking him over.

"That Attribute Roulette is gone!" Said Azion. "Water Dashing allows Pyreon to disable an opponent's ability!" The area returned to normal. "And because of Leo's Hydro Regulator, it increases the power, allowing Pyreon to disable another ability, making both your Roulettes useless!" Power flowed out from Helios.

"I would say you're wrong on that!" Said Spectra. "Go ahead, hit me with your best!" Azion looked at everybody and nodded. They all nodded back.

"Go for it!" They yelled. Everybody attacked again.

"Ability Activate!" Said Spectra. "Attack Roulette!" Everybody attacking froze. "This ability makes only one attacker go at a time." Magnatron unfroze. "And it looks like he's first! Give it you best."

"Ability Activate!" Said Andrew. "Nebula Blazer!"

"Time for the counter." Said Spectra. "Ability Activate! Darkus Reduction!" The Nebula Blazer froze, shrank, then continued on. "That'll reduce your ability!" The attack hit Helios, but dealt no damage. Magnatron froze, unfreezing Pyreon.

"Ability Activate!" Said Azion. "Plasma Inferno!" Pyreon began charging up his attack.

"It won't work!" Said Spectra. "Ability Activate! Pyro Blocker!"

"You wanna bet?" Asked Azion. "Now Pyreon!" Pyreon launched his attack, and it hit the shield hard. It began to crack.

"What?" Asked Spectra.

"This ability is capable of defeating a Mechtogan Titan!" Said Pyreon. "You think your flimsy shield will hold?" The shield continued to crack, but managed to hold. Pyreon's attack slowly began to peter out.

"Come on Pyreon! You can do it!" The shield broke, but Pyreon's attack didn't have enough strength left to hit Helios. It vanished. Pyreon froze, unfreezing Vladitor.

"Looks like it's our turn." Said Chaos. "Ready?"

"Always." Said Vladitor.

"Ability Activate! Cancellation Hammer!" Vladitor generated his hammer, and it glowed with a purifying light. He threw it.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Asked Spectra. "Ability Activate! Attack Blocker!" A shield formed in front of Helios.

"It's not attack." Said Chaos. The hammer hit the shield and broke through it. "Cancellation Hammer will negate every ability you've used thus far!" Everybody unfroze as the hammer hit Helios. "Hey Cassie, what do you say to bringing this back to United brawling?"

"Huh?" Asked Cassie.

"I'm ready if you are!" Said Janthide.

"I like that idea!" Said Azion. "Ready Tom?"

"What?"

"Let's just show you." Said Slight. He and Pyreon ran at each other.

"Bakugan, Unite!" They said. They combined into Corenago.

"Bakugan Fusion?" Asked Tom. "Unreal!"

"Bakugan, Unite!" Said Vladitor and Janthide. They combined into Mercurial.

"No way!" Said Cassie.

"Time to use my power!" Said Cindy. Her arm glowed, showing a D-Power and the Perfect Core. "BakuDigitize!" Crocolomon and Magnaliger combined. "Now we can truly use our power!" Azion pressed a button on his D-Power. It changed into a DATA Link. "D.N.A. Charge! Overdrive!" Dragonomon turned into Fusion Dragonomon.

"We can do this!" Said Atom. His hand began to glow. "You with me Andrew? We have similar powers!"

"You talking about a split? I'm up for it!" His arm began to glow.

"Attributic," started Atom.

"Primal" started Andrew.

"Split!" Finished Leonidas and Magnatron. They each split.

"We're ready!" Said Hanabi. Toxigon got into a fighting stance.

"With you all the way!" She said.

"Wait, you can talk?"

"Not important right now. Focus on the battle!"

"Right! Let's do this!" Her hand glowed, and her symbol glowed brighter. Her deck came out and floated in front of her. "Huh?"

"You have unlocked your power. Consider it a blessing." Hanabi grabbed her deck, and it stopped glowing along with her hand.

"Let's do this Toxigon!" She grabbed a card. "Starve Venom Fusion Dragon!" It appeared next to Toxigon.

"I may not know much of what's going on, but I know I can learn it!" Said Cam. "Let's go!" Her hand glowed, showing the seven fingered hand. Something formed from it. She looked at it in curiosity. "What is this?" Cassie looked at it.

"It looks like a Bakumeter, but very different." Cam put it on as the hand glowed again, and something else formed from it. It was a small ball. Cam's Janthide glowed and returned to her. However, the glow didn't fade as it went into the ball. It shook, took on a Ventus coloring, then opened.

"Throw me in." It said.

"Huh?"

"Just do it!"

"Okay." Said Cam. She grabbed it. "Bakugan, Brawl!" The ball transformed, turning into something familiar to Atom, Azion, Chaos, Cassie and Tom.

"I am Biagron!" Proclaimed the Bakugan.

"Whoa!" Said Cam.

"But I thought Biagron was destroyed!" Said Chaos. "But I guess when Cellos was absorbed into Rak Taal, she wasn't truly destroyed."

"This is big!" Said Atom. He looked at Azion and Daniel. "Three left. We've got to unlock our powers!"

Well, what am I supposed to do?" Asked Daniel. "I have no clue what's going on!"

"I know what I need to do." Said Azion. "But I'm not sure if I can do it."

"All of you are still weak!" Said Spectra. "No matter how you combine or split, you're still no match for my Probability Helios! Ability Activate! Destructive Chance!" The symbol began changing rapidly in Probability Helios's chest. It settled on a symbol nobody knew, and several orbs of light came out of it. They spread around the arena, forming a circle Energy flowed from each one to its neighbors, completing the circle. Then it began to contract. "This ability will destroy all of you! The only one unaffected is Helios!" He began laughing. "And the best part? You can't negate it!"

"This is bad." Said Azion. He looked to his teammates, both old and new, and came to a decision. "I'm going to need help for this, but I think I can stop it!"

"Good luck with that!" Said Spectra.

"We have to work together on this." Said Azion. "None of us can do it alone, especially me. We have to work together!" The orbs continued to get closer. "Let's do this together! It's not about negating them, it's about avoiding them!"

"Charizard, use fly!" Said Daniel.

"Ability Activate!" Said Chaos. "Hammering Winds!"

"Ability Activate!" Said Tom. "Boiling Reduction!" The two fired at two of the orbs, but the rest continued coming in closer.

"Ability Activate!" Said Andrew. "Star Buster!" The eight Magnatrons fired at different orbs, but didn't stop their advance. The Bakugan were beginning to struggle against the attack and it began coming in faster.

"This isn't working!" Said Azion. "Why isn't it working?"

"Because it will never work!" Said Spectra. "All because you can't get over the fact that you can't beat everything!" That hit Azion hard.

"Azion, you need to stay focused." Said Atom. "Don't let him get into your head!"

"But, he's right!" Said Azion. "I'm arrogant. I have no thinking about anything being better than I am. I've never even considered it until after my trial." He fell to his knees. "I just can't accept that there might be others more powerful than I am, others who could beat me with a snap of their fingers. I've just never been able to think like that!" His hand began to glow softly.

"Azion, you need to focus!" Said Cassie. "Think about it! Your arrogance is what makes you, you! You can't just say that you won't be arrogant anymore! You have to admit to yourself that you are arrogant and learn to control it!" Azion looked at her and smiled. His hand glowed powerfully.

"You're right!" He said. "I can't wallow in my own pity about not completing my trial. I have to understand who I am and be able to use my strengths!" The attacks failed and the orbs closed in.

"Things are getting kind of tight here!" Said Leonidas.

"You're all doomed!" Said Spectra.

"No, we're not!" Said Azion. His hands glowed and he pointed them at the ground. A ring of stone came up from it, surrounding everybody fighting. The orbs hit the ring and vanished. The stone crumbled. "It takes more than just avoiding. It take redirecting!" He glared at Spectra. "Your turn to fall!" He aimed his hands again, and stone began rising around the arena. Platforms floated around, making an intricate obstacle course. "Let's go! Pyreon, start the course!" A stone glowed green and Pyreon jumped onto it.

"What's going on?" Asked Atom.

"We're doing something simple yet complex." Said Azion. "Want to help out?" Six more stones glowed.

"Let's try it!" Atom looked at his partner. "Let's do this!"

"On it!" Said Leonidas. He and his clones jumped onto the glowing platforms. Helios kept looking at all of them, as if trying to figure out his next target. A stone passed in front of him, blinding him for a second. As it went past, all of the stones turned, hiding if they had a Bakugan on them or not. Helios looked at all of them in sequence.

"What do you think you're doing?" Asked Spectra. "Ability Activate! Melting Point!" Helios fired at the stones, melting them one by one. However, he didn't reveal any Bakugan standing on them. "What the? Where did they go?" He heard something behind him and turned to see all seven Bakugan jumping at Helios. "No!"

"Ability Activate!" Said Atom and Azion.

"Infinity Strike!" Said Atom.

"Scalding Wave!" Said Azion. The Scalding Wave hit Helios first, causing several burn marks to appear. Then, all six Leonidases stuck Helios at once, blasting him forward. He went towards Mercurial and Magnalomon.

"Ability Activate!" Said Cassie. "Turbine Blade!"

"DigiAbility Activate! Digital Enforcement!" The Turbine Blade rammed into Helios hard, sending him towards Toxigon and Charizard.

"Ability Activate!" Said Hanabi. "Venoshock!" The attack went into Helios's eyes, blinding him.

"Charizard! Blast Burn!" Yelled Daniel. Charizard obliged, hitting Helios with everything he had. Helios wobbled backwards, towards Magnatron and Biagron.

"Time to make you vanish!" Said Magnatron.

"Ability Activate!" Said Andrew. "Darkstar Crusher!" Magnatron prepared his attack, making three discs in front of him.

"Ability Activate!" Said Cam. "Blow Down!" Helios was sent to the ground, then got hit by Magnatron. He glowed Red and Purple, defeated. Spectra vanished. The six beings began to glow.

"You have all done well." Said Genesis.

"These trials are now complete." Said Omnimon.

"You now have all the strength you need." Said Axolotl.

"And your powers will continue to grow stronger." Said Arceus.

"But be warned, these were only tests to help you unlock your power."

"Now your true battle begins." The area began to glow even more, then vanished.

* * *

"And that's all I know." Said Clate.

"Well, that's quite the story." Said Yuri. "But how does that help us find Hanabi and the others?"

"It doesn't yet." Said Ford. The area behind Clate began to glow. "But I don't think it needs to." All ten people appeared.

"Where have you guys been?" Asked Dan. "We've been waiting!"

"I think that's guys talk for we missed you." Said Runo. Dan glared at her.

"In any case, it's good to have you guys back." Said Rika

"Indeed." Said Renamon.

"So, what happened?" Asked Takato.

"All I care about right now is getting out of here!" Said Stan. "Where is that voice to tell us what we need to do?"

"Right here." Above everybody, the air began to glow. Someone took form, but didn't reveal their face. "All the trials have been completed, and all of you are free to go. But be warned, this is a peace that will not last. The Destruction is still consuming more every moment that passes. All of you must work together to prevail!" The being vanished, and the area began to glow. "Be free to explore, but hurry on your quest." The area vanished, leaving everybody staring at an infinite number of lines.

"We're back between Realities." Said Atom. "About time!"

"So, what's the plan?" Asked Ford. Everybody looked at each other, then something came near them.

"The plan is for all of you to come aboard!" Said someone. Everybody looked at the thing to see a very, very large infinity symbol. "I am the Commander of the Infinity Matrix. We are on our way to Invasion Core to protect it from the Destruction. However, our resources are limited. We are asking for your help. Will you help us?" Everybody looked at the Infinity Matrix and saw a hatch open. "If you want to help, climb aboard." Atom looked at everybody else, then back to the Infinity Matrix.

"I think we can all agree that we should help!" He headed for the hatch.

"Hey! You're not leaving me behind!" Said Azion. He charged at Atom.

"So, it's a race huh?" Asked Chaos. "You're on!" He followed. Dipper and Mabel began pulling Stan.

"Let's go Grunkle Stan!" Said Dipper.

"No! I'm not trusting them!" Ford began pushing him.

"Will you stop being a stubborn oaf!" They headed for the hatch.

"Well, we don't need any more invitation than that!" Said Dan. Everybody else began to follow, heading for the hatch.

* * *

 _We might be heading for Invasion Core to oppose the Destruction, but our powers aren't going to last long enough for us to hold it back. That's where Syark and Claip come in. With their quick planning and decisive action, we might just be able to outlast the Destruction! But with the time dilation within the Reality being a big deal, we might not be able to last long enough. We have to last long enough for the Neo Battle Brawlers to complete their task!_


	18. Dual Attack

**You guys ready for this? I hope you are! Let's see if any of you can predict that'll happen in this chapter. Go on, take a moment and predict. Now that you're done with that, enjoy!**

The trials have been completed, and we have our entire team back together. However, not everything is going to go as easily from now on. The Destruction is gaining strength and is on its way to destroy one of the last protective Realities guarding Bakugan! We cannot afford to let it fall!

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

The hatch closed as everybody got inside. Atom looked around. "So, this is the Infinity Matrix, huh?"

"Actually, it's one of many." Said someone. Everybody looked at him to see Syark. "This is just the most powerful one."

"What do you mean?" Asked Dan. Syark sighed.

"Perhaps it would be best if you just followed me. My name is Syark. I'm a Shifter from Reality Ten." He turned. "The situation is dire right now. We need to get all of you up to speed. Please, follow me." He began walking.

"Let's go guys!" Said Takato. "We need to figure out what's going on!"

"Let's just trust the people we know nothing about!" Said Stan. "That's a brilliant idea!"

"It's better than the Destruction." Said Mabel.

"I'm not budging an inch!" Said Stan.

"Fine." Said Syark. He lifted his arm and pressed a button. Something came out of the wall and grabbed Stan.

"Hey!"

"Don't worry. It will not harm you." Said Syark. "But please, we must get going!" He again turned and began walking.

"Let's get going then." Said Shun. The entire group followed, but Stan kept struggling against the robot that held him. They passed lots of people who looked at them in shock.

"Are those them?" Asked one.

"They must be." Said another. "Who else has a group that large?"

"What's with them?" Asked Rika.

Syark sighed. "Let's just say that you guys have become something of legend here. Specifically, Atom, Azion, Cassie, Chaos and Tom. You guys received Omega Genes from here. No others can make that claim." Atom looked at his hand.

"So that's where this symbol came from?" He asked, showing his hand.

"Exactly." Said Syark. He took a quick turn to the left and entered a large room. "Sir, they're here!" Someone turned to Syark.

"Thank you for bringing them here." Said the person. He looked at the group. "Thank you for coming. I have no doubt that you have many questions, but trust me when I say that they'll all be answered soon. Right now, we have an important situation. As I'm certain you all know, the Destruction is making its way to Invasion Core, one of the last Bakugan Realities that exist. If it goes down, we've calculated a 98.6% chance of every other Reality falling. And until you five got here, we had predicted a 99.9% chance of us failing to defend it. With you here, the odds have been increased to 50/50. Does this make sense so far?"

"Yes, it does." Said Ford. "But who are you?" The person chuckled.

"I guess it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that you'd want to know. I am the Commander of the Infinity Matrix."

"Wait, you're the commander?" Asked Rika.

"So you're the one who ordered for us to get our Realital Genes!" Said Dan. The Commander nodded.

"Yes, I did. And I'll explain my reasoning later. For now, we must focus elsewhere!" The ground rumbled.

"What's going on?" Asked Takato.

"We've been having a few mechanical issues recently." Said Syark. "You see, the propulsors haven't been used for over 20 years. They're a little rusty."

"Propulsors?" Asked Azion. "Sounds like an old Star Trek reference."

"Unfortunately, we can no longer reference Reality 66785640." Said Syark. "It was claimed long ago."

"Reality 66785640?" Asked Azion. "Do you guys give every Reality a number?"

"We used to." Said the Commander. "But when this started, we had to speak quickly, so the numbers went out the window." He sighed. "But that's beside the point. Let's continue on." The rumbling died down. "In ten hours, the Destruction is going to get to Invasion Core. We're going to get there in nine. That gives us one hour to set up defenses against it once we get there." The ground rumbled again. "Are you ready?"

"Do we even have a choice?" Asked Chaos. "At this point, we need to work together. Otherwise, all will be lost."

"So, what do we need to do?" Asked Yuri, excitedly. "I can't wait for this! It's going to be fun!"

"Fun is not in the cards." Said the Commander, gravely. "If we fail for even a second, Invasion Core is doomed." That shut Yuri up quickly.

"Doomed?" Asked Hanabi. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." The Commander sighed. "Okay, look. We have a while to go before we have to start worrying about this. We know the most likely spot for the Destruction to go, right at the split of the Timeline. When we get there, we'll start preparing. You are our best here for this, so we ask that you help us defend Invasion Core. If we can't save it, then everything falls." Atom looked back to the group.

"Do we even have to debate this?" He asked. "I think the only one here who doesn't want to help is Stan, right?" Everybody nodded. Atom turned back to the Commander. "We're in agreement. We'll help."

"Thank you." Said the Commander. He looked at Syark. "Make sure they're rested and ready to battle by the time we get there. If they aren't at peak performance, we won't stand a chance."

"I'll make sure somebody gets right on it, Sir." Syark turned to everybody. "Split up into groups. Some of you are going to need rest while the rest will go and get some battle practice in. I'll have somebody along shortly to guide you to where you need to go. I have to get back to work." Syark walked off.

"So, who's going to get some practice in?" Asked Dan. "I know I am!"

"I think I'm going to get some rest." Said Runo. "We've been going nonstop for how long now?"

"I still don't like it, but I'm tired." Said Stan. "I'm getting some rest."

"Me too." Said Ford. Dipper and Mabel looked at each other.

"I'm going to get ready!" Said Mabel. "You with me Dipper?"

"I guess." Said Dipper.

"Practice is important, but being able to figure out the battle quickly is even more." Said Shun. "I'm going to get some rest."

"How about instead of saying what we're going to do, we just split up?" Asked Tom. "Who's going to get some rest?" Shun and Runo raised their hands, followed by Stan, Ford, Hanabi, Cam, Rika, Henry and Suzie. Yuri raised his hand reluctantly. "Okay, so all of you should separate slightly so that we don't have to do this again when they get here." The ten that raised their hands walked away from the main group a bit. Two people then walked up.

"My name is Hydrona." Said one.

"I'm Likuti." Said the other. "I'll guide the ones who want to rest." The group of ten walked up to him. "Please follow me." They walked away.

"So, the rest of you want to get some practice in, eh?" Asked Hydrona. "I'll show you to our training rooms." He began to walk in the opposite direction.

"Well, let's go!" Said Henry. The group followed him. Hydrona took a quick left, revealing a very strange room.

"Welcome to the training room." He said. "This is where you can practice against your greatest opposition. We'll do a quick memory scan to see what your unique greatest opponent is." A light came on and focused on the group, quickly tracing their memories. It shut off within ten seconds. "Okay, we got each individual opponent." He turned to the room. "Turn on simulation X-456-01." The room rippled, then turned into several smaller rooms. "Simulation X-456-01 is a way for multiple people to train together. I'll save you all the details, but know that it works about the same as any other battle." The room rippled again. "Send data to each station and activate Virtual Reality protocols." A name appeared above each smaller room as devices appeared in them. "Go into the room with your name, step onto the platforms and say the command Start. You'll then see your greatest opponent and will begin to battle. If you win, you will be given the opportunity to end the training, but if you lose you have to try again. Do you all understand?"

"I think so." Said Azion.

"Good. Now, go into your respective rooms. And be ready for anything." Everybody quickly found their individual rooms and went in. Vests appeared on them as they stepped onto the devices. Smaller devices appeared for those who had partners. Finally, helmets appeared on everybody, including the Digimon and Bakugan. Atom looked around, seeing an endless plain of white.

"So, this is a fully automated Virtual Reality chamber?" He asked.

"Precisely." Said Hydrona. "Now, begin."

"Start." Said Dan. His white plane morphed into a destroyed warehouse.

"You want Drago?" Spectra appeared. "Bakugan, Brawl! Rise Pyrus Drago!" Dan looked up to see Vexos Dragonoid.

"Start." Said Andrew.

"Start." Said Cindy. Their worlds linked up, letting them see each other. Magantron appeared before them.

"I will defeat you!" He proclaimed.

"Start." Said Marucho, followed by Daniel. They also linked up, and saw Kirdua and Olep.

"Ready to be drained?" Asked Kirdua.

"Start." Said Atom, Azion, Chaos, Tom and Cassie. Atom and Azion were linked together while Chaos, Tom and Cassie stayed separate. Atom and Azion looked up to see Andrew and Cindy. They got very confused. Chaos looked up and saw Barodius. Tom saw Atom. Cassie found herself against Bill.

"Start." Said Ryo. A large dragon took form as the area turned into a ruined castle. Cyberdramon appeared beside him.

Start." Said Takato. He and Guilmon found themselves against Azion and Dragonomon.

"Start!" Said Mabel, followed by Dipper.

"Start." Said Wendy. The three linked up and saw Mabeland.

"Start." Said Soos. He saw his worst nightmare, a British Dog man. "My worst nightmare, alive again!" Everybody else followed suit, and saw their greatest opponents.

"Good luck to all of you." Said Hydrona. He smiled wickedly. "You'll need it." He whispered. He tapped the wall and a control panel popped open. He turned the difficulty dial from two to ten. He quickly closed the panel, then walked away. "I love my job with new recruits."

"This should be fun!" Said Dan. He looked at Drago. "Are you ready?"

"Always!" Neither noticed Spectra shift slightly.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Dan. "Baku-Sky Raider, Jump! Go Pyrus Fusion Dragonoid!" Drago jumped at Vexos Dragonoid, who staggered backwards.

"You might get the jump on us, but you won't be winning this battle!" Said Spectra.

"We've done this before!" Said Dan. "You're not going to beat us this time!"

"I beg to differ." Said Spectra. "Ability Activate! Diano Cocus X!" The chains spread around Vexos Dragonoid, powering him up.

* * *

"You wanna bet you can beat us?" Asked Andrew. "We've faced you before, Magantron, and won! Bakugan, Brawl! Descend Darkus Magnatron.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Cindy. "Bakugan, Stand! Rise Pyrus Magnaliger! Into battle Dragonomon!"

"You're doomed!" Said Magantron. He charged up a blast from the gem in his chest.

* * *

"You're done for." Said Kirdua.

"I beg to differ!" Said Daniel. He looked at Marucho. "Ready to go?"

"You know it!"

"I choose you, Clonusium!"

"Charizard, burn him down!"

"Dragonite, let's go!"

"Bakugan, Brawl! Stand Aquos Renas!"

"Change into Renas, Clonusium! And we'll use our ally's abilities!"

* * *

"Why are we facing Andrew and Cindy?" Asked Atom.

"I think it might be because of their trial to become friends again." Said Azion. "They faced copies of us and won."

"You ready yet?" Asked Andrew. "We're not going to wait all day!"

* * *

"Be ready. None who have challenged me have survived!" Said the Lord of Lightning.

"Want to prove it?" Asked Ryo. He charged forward. "Cyberdramon, stay safe!" Cyberdramon growled, but listened.

* * *

"Why are we against Azion?" Asked Guilmon. "Aren't we friends?"

"Not in this place." Said Azion. "This is a practice room. You're going against your strongest opponent."

* * *

Hydrona walked back into the command room. "How are they doing?" Asked the Commander.

"They're all in battle and getting ready. I made the decision to bump the difficulty to ten."

"Ten?" Asked the Commander. He looked at Hydrona. "Are you sure that they're strong enough?"

"Time will tell." Said Hydrona. "How are the others doing?" Likuti walked in.

"The ten that went with me are resting now." He said. "Although one was rather difficult."

"Young ones usually are." Said Syark.

"Young ones? Do you need your eyes checked?" Asked Likuti. "I'm talking about the mistrusting old one!"

"Oh." Said Syark. He turned back to the maps. He noticed something. "Uh, Sir, we might have a problem."

"What is it?" Asked the Commander. He looked at the screen. On it was the two remaining Bakugan Realities. And both of them had a level red threat warning. "What? What happened?"

"I'm not sure, sir." Said Syark. "But both are now in danger. We will have to split up." The Commander sighed.

"Hydrona, go get Azion, Chaos and Tom. They need to be sent."

"On it, sir!" Hydrona ran off.

"Here's hoping." Said the Commander.

* * *

"With this two pronged attack, we will divide their forces." Said the being. "Spectra, you and Bill will go to the True Evil Reality while I will go to Invasion Core. Whatever Shifters go there, you will take control of, understood? Follow the plan."

"Yes sire." Said Spectra.

"I'm getting giddy!" Said Bill. "Let's do this!"

"What about me?" Asked Setne.

"You will remain here to continue trying to find the spell you need." Said the being. "Once you find it, we'll be able to bring you back to life."

"Got it."

"Okay, we know the plan. Let's go!" Spectra and Bill turned into dark energy, followed by the being. They vanished, leaving Setne.

"Oh, I'll find the spell I need." Said Setne. "Just not the one you want me to find."

* * *

"Sir, Spectra and Bill just appeared, heading towards True Evil!" Said Syark.

"Wait, what?" Asked the Commander.

"I can't explain it, but they just appeared!" The Commander growled and Hydrona walked back in, followed by Chaos, Azion and Tom, with their partners.

"It was just getting fun." Complained Azion. "What do you need us for?"

"The other Reality that is vulnerable is under threat." Said the Commander.

"What?" Asked Chaos. "No wonder you called for us."

"Indeed."

"So how are we going to get there?" Asked Tom.

"You remember those portals you guys went through to get to the different Realities, right?" Asked Syark. "We're going to do the same thing now. And before you ask, the reason we didn't do it before is because we can't make one big enough for the entire Infinity Matrix."

"So when do we get sent?" Asked Azion.

"Now." Said Syark, casually. The three vanished into a portal that appeared above them. It quickly closed. "They're on their way."

* * *

A portal opened near the True Evil Reality, spitting out Azion, Chaos and Tom. "A little warning next time, maybe?" Yelled Azion.

"Well, we're here." Said Chaos. "So, it was effective." Tom looked across the endless expanse of Realities when Azion's Bakumeter buzzed. All three looked at it.

"You three arrive safely?" Asked Syark.

"Yeah, we're fine." Said Tom. "But where is it?"

"It should be visible in 5, 4, 3, 2," it appeared before he finished. "Darn! My timing was slightly off. Anyways, you know what to do!" Syark ended the call.

"Well, let's get ready then." Said Chaos. He turned towards the mass. "Bakugan, Brawl!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Azion.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Tom.

"Baku-Sky Raider, Jump!" Said Chaos.

"Bakugan, Stand!" Said Azion and Tom.

"Join the fray Dragonomon!"

"I summon you, Palkia!" Said Tom. Chaos prepared his deck. The mass continued to approach, headed by Spectra and Bill. They stopped within several yards of Azion, Chaos and Tom.

"So, it's you three that are here to protect, huh?" Asked Bill. "This is going to be fun!"

"You three are no match against my perfect Bakugan!" Said Spectra. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Probability Helios!"

"We've faced you before." Said Azion.

"And we've won." Said Chaos.

"And you think you can win?" Asked Tom.

"Oh, we know we can!" Said Spectra. "Ability Activate! Probable Cannon!" A large cannon appeared in front of Probability Helios and he grabbed onto it. "Say goodbye!" Helios fired.

"Ability Activate!" Said Chaos. "Draceous Shield!" The attack hit the shield and vanished. "You'll have to try harder than that!"

"Let's try something new then!" Said Bill. He began to grow in size. "I'm taking the strength of a Bakugan and using it to my advantage!" He stopped at a height equal to Helios. "Let's try this!" Blue fire leapt from his hand, heading for Slight.

"Ability Activate!" Said Tom. "Clear Refresh!" A clear wall of water formed in front of the fire, stopping it.

"Ability Activate!" Said Azion. "Fire Welder!" Pyreon charged in.

"Fools!" Said Spectra. "Ability Activate! Attribute Roulette!" The area glowed yellow, and all three Bakugan facing Helios changed, followed by Dragonomon and Palkia. The Fire Welder failed. "Care to try again?" Azion's Bakumeter buzzed.

"Use a Ventus ability next!" Said Syark. "It's the most likely Attribute to activate!"

"Ability Activate!" Said Tom. "Humid Winds!" The area flashed, turning green. All the Bakugan except Helios turned Ventus, followed by Dragonomon and Palkia. Heavy winds began battering Helios, stopping the Attribute Roulette.

"What?" Asked Spectra.

"Ability Activate!" Said Chaos. "Demolition Hammer!" Vladitor threw his hammer at Bill. He tried to stop it, but got hit in the face.

"That hurt!"

"That's the point." Said Vladitor.

"Ability Activate!" Said Spectra. "Destructive Chance!" The symbol on Helios's chest began changing, and turned into an Egyptian Ha-Di. A beam came out of the shape. Azion's hand began to glow.

"Not happening!" He said. A stone wall appeared in front of the beam and blocked it. Spectra growled.

"Can't you do anything right?" Asked Bill. "I guess I'll have to do this myself." Fire came from his hand again. "Take this!" He fired at everybody.

"Not happening." Said Azion. "Ability Activate! Infernium Shield!" A blazing wall of fire took form and blocked the attack.

"You two aren't getting past us!" Said Pyreon. Spectra and Bill looked at each other and nodded.

"Wanna bet?" Asked Bill. He began shrinking back down.

"We don't think so!" Agreed Spectra. Bill continued shrinking and moved in front of Spectra. Energy began building up from them.

"What are they doing?" Asked Tom. Palkia vanished. "What?"

"Take this!" Yelled Spectra. Beams came out of Bill, heading towards everybody else. The first beam hit Pyreon, followed by Vladitor and Slight. A beam hit Dragonomon while three passed over him, hitting Azion, Chaos and Tom. Dragonomon shook his head while a burning pain entered everybody else's minds before everything went blank.

* * *

"Sir, we got more problems!" Said Syark. Another map pulled up.

"What's wrong?"

"The Destruction has sped up, Sir! At its current rate, we won't get there until its deed is done!"

The Commander sighed and looked at Hydrona. "Hydrona, can you go"

"Already done." We all walked around the corner. "I figured that something like this would happen, so I pulled the plug on them."

"I wish you didn't!" Said Dan. "I almost won!"

"And what about the"

"Here as well." Said Likuti as he walked in. The rest followed him.

"What's up?" Asked Henry.

"We've got a big problem." Said Syark. "We're preparing a portal for all of you."

"Why?" Asked Dipper.

"The Destruction has sped up, and will complete its destruction of Invasion Core before we get there, so it'll be up to you to hold down the fort while we try to get there."

"Ready." Said Atom. He looked at everybody else. "Right?"

"We certainly are!" Said Takato.

"Yeah!" Said Guilmon.

"With you all the way!" Said Wendy.

"We've got to protect the Realities, right?" Asked Alice.

"Knew you would agree." Said Syark. He began typing quickly. "And the coordinates are set for both output and input. Here we go!" A portal appeared above all of us and pulled us in. It vanished just as quickly. "Good luck." The Infinity Matrix rumbled again. "You sure the old girl will hold?"

"It has to." Said the Commander.

* * *

"We need a plan." Said Cassie. "Anybody got one?"

"I say we just keep hammering it." Said Dan. "It'll eventually decide Invasion Core isn't worth it, right?"

"Always thinking that brawling is the best way." Said Runo. "We have to think differently here."

"Yeah! We need to work smartly! We're not going to be able to defeat it enough to make it decide that." Agreed Julie.

"Why are you two always against me?"

"We need to play defense." Said Rika. "We just need to outlast it, not beat it."

"But that won't work either." Said Takato.

"We still can't hold it back long enough." Agreed Ryo.

"We need to work both ways." Said Atom. "We have to act as a group, but use our own strengths." He looked at Dan. "Dan, you're best at going hard and fast. Same for Keith. You are perfect for being the front line."

"You know it!" Said Dan. "I hate waiting around!"

"I've never agreed with you more, Dan!"

"Rika, Henry, you two both know the value of holding a reserve, just in case. When it comes to it, you two can hold back anything."

"He's right." Said Rika.

"We do know how to keep things back." Agreed Henry.

"Ford, you know more than anybody else here when it comes to things that are weird. How would you handle the Destruction?"

"Well, that's easy in theory." Said Ford. "The best way to defeat it is to just stop it. If we can prevent it from consuming Realities, it will slowly lose power." Atom nodded.

"Stan, you love just hitting things, especially when they threaten your family. Is there a greater threat than the Destruction?"

"Not that I can think of!"

"I think I'm starting to get it now." Said Dipper. "If we split into teams, we should be able to delay it long enough."

"Exactly." Said Atom. "We all have different strengths and weaknesses. But, because we're all different, we reinforce our weaknesses and amplify our strengths. So, who's with me?"

"We actually have a chance in this!" Said Alice.

"You know it!" Said Runo.

"It would seem that being reserved has its perks!" Said Terriermon.

"Now we just need to figure out who best fits where in this plan." Said Marucho. The end of the portal came into view.

"We'll figure it out soon." Said Dan. "But right now, let's just get there!" He went ahead of the group.

"If it's a race you want, it's a race you got Dan!" Said Atom.

* * *

 _Dan here. We've made it to Invasion Core, and we have a plan. We just have to delay the Destruction long enough for those inside the Reality to complete their mission. But things take a dark turn when the Destruction actually shows up, in person no less! We've got to hold it off just long enough! But we start to get worried when Azion, Chaos and Tom don't show up to help. We know they were called for something, but we don't know what it is. That's when it hits us, harder than the truth ever will. We've got to fight back! But at this point, even I'm not sure how long we'll last._


	19. Unlocked Power

**I live! Man has it been a while since I last uploaded, but I think I got a good one for you guys! And if any of you have any fanfictions you know of that might be something aside from Bakugan (let's face it, I only really know about Bakugan fanfictions) that might fit in this story, then please, let me know. We're coming to the end of the first major arc of the story so stay tuned and enjoy!**

Defense is the best we can do. We can't overpower the Destruction. We have to outlast it, just long enough for the Neo Battle Brawlers in Invasion Core to complete their mission. But we know we're outmatched. We just have to endure and hope that the time dilation is on our side!

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Azion, Tom and Chaos, along with their partners, looked at Spectra and Bill. "What do you need of us?" Asked Azion. Spectra chuckled.

"Looks like the plan worked flawlessly." He said.

"Looks like it." Agreed Bill. "So what should we do with them?"

"How about you let them go?" Asked Dragonomon. Spectra glared at him.

"How were you not affected?" He asked.

"In all honesty, I don't know." Said Dragonomon. "But I know that I need to stop you!" He charged Spectra.

"Azion, stop Dragonomon." Said Spectra. Azion got in Dragonomon's way.

"Azion, stop listening to him! This isn't you!" Said Dragonomon.

"What do you mean?" Asked Azion. "This has always been me." Dragonomon gasped, then growled.

"Then you leave me no choice." Dragonomon charged Azion, and knocked him over. Then he continued on towards Spectra. Azion got in the way again.

"As humorous as this is, we have bigger fish to fry." Said Bill. "Azion, leave your Digivices here. Let Dragonomon hang onto his false memories."

"Sure thing." Said Azion. He grabbed his D-Power and his Fusion Loader, and tossed them at Dragonomon, who caught them.

"Let's go." Said Bill. "Phase one is done. Now we have to meet up with him at Invasion Core." Spectra and Bill began to glow, followed by Azion, Tom and Chaos. Pyreon, Vladitor and Slight began to glow as well.

"Hey! Don't you dare take them!" Yelled Dragonomon. They all vanished, leaving him. "No!" Dragonomon looked around, then noticed the Reality. "Well, at least it looks like the Reality is safe, for now." He looked back at where the mass was, and noticed it had vanished. "Oh man, what am I going to do?" He looked at the Digivices. "I know what this one does," he looked away from the D-Power, "but what does this one do?" He pressed a button on the Fusion Loader and it buzzed. He dropped it out of surprise and it began floating away. He quickly grabbed it, and noticed that it seemed to have a map above it. "What?" He turned and the map turned with him. "Weird." He pressed another button, and the map changed. It highlighted a couple things. A dot appeared where he was, and another dot appeared off the map. A couple more appeared in a group, but Dragonomon was interested in the lone dot. He tapped it, and the map changed to its location. He saw something, and tried to zoom in. After a few seconds of fiddling, he figured out how to and saw everybody else as the dot separated. "The others!" The map, seeming to understand his intentions, zoomed out and created a path to follow. "If this is the fastest way, then I've got to take it!" He turned a little, figured out the direction he needed to travel, then started on his journey. He didn't notice a mass approaching from the other side of the Reality.

* * *

Everybody was in place. Dan was heading the front line, leading Keith, Andrew, Stan, Mabel, Takato, Runo, Julie, Ryo, Kazu and Kenta. Rika and Henry lead everybody else in the defense line. "Okay, we're ready." Said Atom.

"We just better hope for the best!" Said Kazu.

"We all have to." Said Keith. "But let's make the best happen."

"We can do this!" Said Alice. Runo looked at her.

"Wow, you must be feeling really good about this!" Said Julie. "You never get this excited!" Cassie's Bakumeter buzzed. She looked at it.

"Are you guys in place?" Asked Syark.

"Yeah, we're ready." Said Cassie.

"I had hoped that was the answer." Said Syark. He looked elsewhere. "According to the latest info, you've got less than ten minutes before it comes."

"Got it." Said Cassie. "Thanks." Syark ended the call. "Okay guys, we've got less than ten minutes before it comes!"

"Then let's finish the setup!" Said Dan. "Bakugan, Brawl!"

"I second you on that, Dan!" Said Keith. "Bakugan, Brawl!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Runo and Julie.

"Digimodify!" Said Ryo, Kazu and Kenta.

"We just need to call out when it gets past you and where so we can hold the line!" Said Runo.

* * *

The being was floating through the area between the infinite Realities. It looked back to see Vexos Dragonomon. "Are you certain of the plan?"

"Destroy those who would restrict my freedom!" Said Vexos Dragonomon.

"Name those who you shall destroy first."

"Magnatron and Andrew." Said Vexos Dragonomon. "Cindy and Magnaliger."

"Good." The being sensed something. "Who's there?"

"I heard you say the name Magnatron." The being looked to where the voice came from to see a being that looked similar to Magnatron. "I am his brother, Magantron!" Vexos Dragonomon heard something else.

"Magnatron!" He yelled. "I will destroy you!" Vexos Dragonomon lunged at Magantron.

"Give me your best shot!" Said Magantron. "Star Detonator!" Energy built up in Magantron and blasted out through the gem in his chest. It rocketed towards Vexos Dragonomon, who hit it, making it vanish.

"Destroy!" Yelled Vexos Dragonomon. He charged again, hitting Magantron.

"Starbit Lance!" Said Magantron. He fired from his tail at Vexos Dragonomon, who in turn bit him.

"As much as this dance is amusing, it's time to stop!" Yelled the being. Vexos Dragonomon and Magantron backed away from each other, still battle ready. "Vexos Dragonomon, this is not Magnatron. This is his brother, Magantron." It made sure to emphasize the difference. Vexos Dragonomon stood down.

"He won't try to take my freedom from me?"

"Who do you think I am?" Asked Magantron. "I just want to destroy my brother and his partner!"

"In that, we have a common goal." Said the being. "You see, I'm trying to destroy them and their companions."

"Companions?" Asked Magantron. The being smiled.

"Yes." Said the being. "In fact, I bet you know some of them. If my guess is correct, Magnatron was summoned to Andrew. Is that right?"

"It is." Said Magantron. "And if it wasn't for those encouraging him to speak up about his interests, it never would've happened!"

"I seek to destroy those who helped him." Magantron looked at the being.

"If what you say is true, then it would be in both of our best interests to join together."

"I got him." Thought the being. "This just gets better and better." The being looked up at Magantron. "Agreed." The being looked forward. "Let's get going then. Our attack awaits."

* * *

Spectra and Bill were rocketing towards where the being was supposed to be. "I still can't believe it was that easy to turn them!" Said Bill. "And we've got them good." He looked at Azion, Chaos and Tom.

"Indeed." Said Spectra. "But I feel as if it was too easy."

"What do you mean?" Asked Bill.

"It could be a trick."

"A trick?" Laughed Bill. "You think they would sink so low as to fake joining us, especially leaving Dragonomon behind?" Bill continued to laugh. "You're a riot!" He looked at Azion, Chaos and Tom again. "Hey, you three, who are your leaders?"

"You and Spectra." Replied Chaos immediately.

"Who will you fight for us?" Asked Bill.

"Any who you command us to fight." Said Tom.

"And what will you do?"

"Anything you tell us to do." Said Azion. Bill laughed again.

"See what I mean?"

"I still say we should be cautious." Said Spectra. He stared ahead, then looked at his data tablet. "We should meet up with him momentarily."

"Finally!" Said Bill. "I was getting bored!" A dark mass took form in front of them. Three beings could be seen next to it.

"I know he took Vexos Dragonomon with him, but who is this new being?" Asked Spectra. The group approached, and the being looked at them.

"Ah, there they are." As the being looked at Spectra and Bill, it caught memories of what occurred. "So, they captured Azion, Chaos and Tom. That'll drastically reduce the strength of our opposition. Good." The group approached.

"So, who's the new guy?" Asked Bill.

"I am Magantron."

"So did you just find him out here?" Asked Spectra.

"Indeed." Said the being. "And I sense you found a nice prize as well."

"We did, sire." Said Spectra. He looked at Azion, Chaos and Tom. "Azion, Chaos and Tom, along with their partners."

"I don't see Dragonomon." Said the being.

"Well, about that" started Spectra.

"Apparently, he was resistant to our attempts to control him." Said Bill. "We don't know how, but we left him in the dust! He's stuck near that Reality!"

"And what of Azion's Digivices?" Asked the being.

"We told him to toss them to Dragonomon to hold onto his 'false memories'." The being snapped his attention to Bill.

"You did what?!" Yelled the being. Bill was unfazed.

"What's the matter? It's not like he can do anything with them."

"Don't you fools know what you've done?" Asked the being. "Azion had a D-Power and a Fusion Loader! The latter is capable of generating a map, and the former can track other Digivices! He had them linked. Put the pieces together." Bill's color faded. "I see you figured it out. Dragonomon is far from helpless. If anything, he's even more powerful right now! With the Fusion Loader, any Digimon put into it can be fused with another and healed! So, because you left the Digivices there, not only can he find his way to the others, which he has probably already started on, but he can combine the Digimon to make them more powerful!" The being imagined Dragonomon. "Imagine Dragonomon combined with any of the Tamer's Digimon. Or worse, with any Digimon we don't know of yet!" The being calmed down. "At this point, we can't change that fact. But we can change how it affects us. If we get to the Reality quickly, we can prevent that from happening. But we need to move now!" The being got on his way. "It's a good thing none of them know that Digimon cannot use Digivices." Thought the being.

"Well, let's go!" Said Magantron. "If I want to destroy my brother, the best way is to follow him." Magantron followed the being, followed by everybody else.

* * *

Dragonomon was still going as fast as he could, trying to make his way back to the others. Then, the map went fuzzy and vanished. "What? Really? Now?" Dragonomon began fiddling with the Fusion Loader again, but to no avail. "Now what am I supposed to do?" A light raced past him. "What was that?" He turned and saw an image of Azion. "Azion?"

"Dragonomon, you need to focus!" Said Azion.

"But, how?" Asked Dragonomon. "You're with them now. I can't do anything."

"You can't do anything because you say you can't do anything. But you can do a lot. Just try different things."

"But how can I when you're now against me?" Something clicked in Dragonomon's head. "Wait, how are you talking to me?" Azion laughed.

"I'm not actually Azion." The image faded, revealing Omnimon. "You hold power in your hands greater than any know before. All you need to do is think about what you can accomplish." Omnimon turned away from Dragonomon. "What do you know so far?"

"Azion was turned against me by Bill and Spectra." Said Dragonomon. "He left his Digivices with me. One of them had a map that showed me where the others were, but it vanished. And now you're here, trying to help me." Omnimon was silent for a moment.

"Very informative, but not what I was talking about. I was talking about the Digivices."

"Oh." Said Dragonomon. "Well, I know what the D-Power does. It allows someone to swipe a card through to modify their Digimon with different abilities or traits."

"Good. What else can it do?"

"It allows the Digimon to Digivolve, Matrix Digivolve and Biomerge, depending on what is used."

"And what of the Fusion Loader?"

"Fusion Loader?" Asked Dragonomon. "Is that what this is?" He looked at the Fusion Loader.

"Precisely. A Fusion Loader is capable of combining Digimon together, summoning them through the use of Digicards and is capable of healing any Digimon put inside of it. But there's more too. That particular one was created with a Reality Shifter in mind. Thus, it has an extra ability. Digimon can use it as well."

"What?" Asked Dragonomon.

"In fact, both of them can be used by Digimon. It's just a matter of it being the right Digimon." Omnimon looked at Dragonomon. "The partner of the one who owns them can use them." Dragonomon looked from Omnimon to the Digivices, then back to Omnimon. "All you need is a gentle push, right? I think I know of a Digimon that can help." Omnimon glowed, and something appeared in front of him. It went towards Dragonomon, who caught it. It stopped glowing, revealing a Sparrowmon Digicard.

"What is this?" Asked Dragonomon.

"That is a Digicard and the Digimon is Sparrowmon. Being a flying Digimon, she can help you on your way much faster than you can travel alone. Place the card into the loader and call out 'Reload! Sparrowmon!' Understood?"

"I think so." Said Dragonomon. He grabbed the card and put it into the Digicard slot. "Reload! Sparrowmon!" Data began appearing all around Dragonomon as Sparrowmon was projected above.

"Good job." Said Omnimon. He began glowing again. "I give you the power to make Digicards as you need them. The only caveat is that they are one time use only, and you must make them again to use them again."

"Got it." Said Dragonomon. He got onto Sparrowmon. "Thank you!" The glow extended from Omnimon to Dragonomon, then faded. Sparrowmon got ready to go.

"Good luck in the future. You will need it." Sparrowmon launched, nearly knocking Dragonomon off. Omnimon vanished. Dragonomon looked at Sparrowmon.

"You know where you're going, right?" Sparrowmon didn't reply and just continued on.

* * *

A dark mass began to approach. "Are you ready guys?" Asked Dan.

"Born ready." Said Keith.

"Let's do this." Said Runo.

"Oh yeah!" Said Julie. "Let's show them what we're made of!" The dark mass loomed forward as two figures appeared to head it. It was the being and Vexos Dragonomon.

"Looks like they really have teamed up." Said Kenta.

"Okay guys, this is it." Said Andrew. "We can do this!" The mass continued to approach, then stopped a distance away.

"So this is the defense put into place." Said the being. "Such a pity and a waste. Why don't you all join me?"

"We'd never do that!" Said Dan. "You want to destroy all of our homes, and every Reality you find!" The being smirked.

"Suit yourself." The being looked at Vexos Dragonomon. "I see Magnatron. Go do your thing."

"Freedom!" Yelled Vexos Dragonomon. He charged Magnatron. Magantron was revealed to be behind Vexos Dragonomon.

"Don't think you're getting to destroy him!" He yelled. "Save the final blow for me!"

"Magantron." Said Andrew.

"We'll take him down for good!" Said Magantron. He blocked Vexos Dragonomon.

"Time to go on the attack!" Said Dan. "Ability Activate! Dragon Thrasher!" Drago went in to help Magnatron.

"Time to kick it up a notch." Said the being. "Time for me to shed this form and be who I truly am! My true power will destroy all of you!" The being began to glow. When it faded, the appearance of a fairly normal boy took form. The only odd thing about him was his eyes, being both red and blue. "I am the Destruction!" Darkness radiated from him, forming copies of all the Bakugan and Digimon, except Magnatron, Magnaliger, Crocolomon, Biagron, Toxigon and Hungeron. "None can survive me!" The darkness cloaked him again, hiding his face. "So this battle was over before it started. Attack!" All the Bakugan attacked their counterparts. The Destruction glared at Atom and Cassie. "I will deal with you two personally." He charged at them.

"As if!" Said Atom.

"Take this!" Cassie's hand glowed and a small device came out of it. She pressed a button, and light spewed out of it, aimed at the Destruction. Darkness blocked it.

"So, you have unlocked your ability, have you? It won't matter." The darkness began pushing harder on the light, and it began to retreat. Atom put his hand on Cassie's device.

"We work together, which makes us more powerful!" The light fought back against the darkness, and pushed it back.

"But you're without your entire team." Said the Destruction.

"They're off protecting the other Reality you were trying to destroy." Said Atom. "But even divided, we're strong!" The light glowed even brighter.

"You cannot defeat me, Atom." Said the Destruction. "Neither of you can." The darkness pushed forward again. Something glinted in the distance.

"We will never give up!" Said Cassie. The glinting got brighter. The light pushed through the darkness, hitting the Destruction, who shielded his eyes.

"Is that supposed to hurt me?" He asked.

"No." Said Cassie. "But it is meant to distract you."

"Let's go!" Said Atom. "Energy Twist! Light!" Leonidas changed. "Ability Activate! Negative's Blight!" Leonidas fired a beam of light and swept it across the battlefield. Every dark clone it touched vanished. The only one left was his, and the other Bakugan turned their attentions to it. Magnatron and Drago were still fighting against Vexos Dragonomon.

"Clever." Said the Destruction. "But not clever enough!" The darkness again left him and formed more clones. It was then that Cassie struck.

"You reveal a weak point whenever you do that!" She said. She rammed into the Destruction, punching him in the gut and knocking him off kilter. The clones vanished just as swiftly as they came.

"You two are really getting on my nerves." Said the Destruction.

"Energy Twist!" Said Cassie. The Ventus symbol on her hand glowed. "Light!" Janthide got covered in blindingly white armor while everything else remained the same. The Destruction sighed.

"Apparently, you don't know when you're beat. But I've got a surprise for you."

"I'll tell them, not you!" Yelled someone. Something rammed into the Destruction, pushing him away as Dragonomon floated next to Atom. "Bad news, guys. They got Azion, Chaos and Tom."

"What?" Asked Atom. He looked at the Destruction to see Sparrowmon vanish. "Wait, what was Sparrowmon doing here?"

"As I was coming here, Omnimon spoke to me and told me how to use a Fusion Loader." Said Dragonomon. "He also gave me a special power."

"Fool." Said the Destruction. He got back up. "You think that simple Fusion Loader will do anything against me?"

"No." Said Dragonomon. "But it doesn't have to." Leonidas's dark clone was defeated. "You want to know why?"

"Don't tell me that you can use it!" Said the Destruction. "Only the ones who they are gifted to can use them!"

"But these are a Reality Shifter's." Said Dragonomon. "And there was a failsafe installed into it, which allows me to use them!" Dragonomon began glowing. "And I know the best way to deal with you!" He looked at Atom. "Give me a Digimon that's specialized in light attacks." Atom smiled.

"One of the Patamon or Gatomon species will do the trick. But I'd say Angewomon would be best."

"You got it!" Said Dragonomon. A card appeared in front of him that he then put into the Fusion Loader. "Reload! Angewomon!" Data appeared around him as Angewomon appeared. Her hands began glowing. She spread them, creating a massive, pink arc. It launched at the Destruction, but something blocked it.

"Infernium Shield!"

"That ability." Thought Atom. "It can't be." As the shield faded, Pyreon appeared.

"You're not taking him down that easily!" Said Azion.

"Azion." Said Atom. "No!"

"Sorry, but all three of your friends are now under our control." Said Spectra. "Bakugan, Brawl! Rise Pyrus Darkus Probability Helios!" Chaos and Tom floated next to him and Bill.

"Their only thoughts right now are to accomplish our agendas." Said Bill. "By any means necessary."

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Chaos. "Baku-Sky Raider, Jump!" Vladitor jumped at Leonidas, still in his Light form.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Tom. "Bakugan, Stand!" Slight charged at Janthide.

"Face it, your powers are no match for ours." Said the Destruction. He charged at Atom and Cassie again. They dodged out of the way.

"Ability Activate!" Said Atom. "Primal Force!" Leonidas again attacked.

"This'll show you!"

"Azion, use the other half of your power." Said Spectra. Azion prepared himself.

"Time for the second symbol!" He said. His Energy Twist triangle glowed.

"No!" Yelled Atom. Azion's Pyrus symbol began to glow.

"Energy Twist! Dark!" Dark energy exploded from him, covering Pyreon. Pyreon took the appearance of a Darkus Bakugan. "Ability Activate! Pyrus Shrouding!" Pyreon created a dark wall, stopping Leonidas's attack.

"What?" Asked Leonidas. The Destruction laughed.

"This is the opposite half of your Energy Twist power. Where there is light, there must be darkness!" Pyreon charged.

* * *

"Sir, the attack has begun." Said Syark. He pulled up the info onto the screen. The Commander looked it over quickly.

"Well, it seems as if everything is going to plan. By the computer's estimates, how long will they last?"

"According to all the data gotten so far, they should be able to last until long after we get there." The Commander sighed.

"Good." An alarm went off. "What's going on?" The warning activated.

 _Warning, Propulsors overheating. Please take caution. Warning, Propulsors overheating. Please take_

The commander slammed the comms button. "Claip! What's going on down there?"

"I tried to tell you, sir!" Said Claip. Hissing could be heard. "The Propulsors were unfit to work, so I cobbled together a way to make them work. It's had the nasty side effect of limiting the coolant, however. And now, they're overheating and the shutoff switch is broken!" The Commander sighed.

"Is there any good news?"

"Well, they won't destroy this place." Said Claip. Something crashed. "I think, at least. I'm going to try and fix it!" The comms cracked to the sound of "What the heck do I do?" Syark continued monitoring the battle, and noticed something very off.

"What the heck?" He asked. He analyzed the data that was coming in, and gasped. "No. No, this can't be!"

"What can't be?" Asked the Commander.

"I'm detecting signs of two different Energy Twists. Light and Dark!"

"Light and Dark?" Asked the Commander. "Who is using what?"

"Atom and Cassie are using Light, while Azion is using Dark."

"Azion?" Asked the Commander. He began thinking, then gasped. "Check True Evil, quickly!" Syark understood the grave idea the Commander had and quickly brought it up. It was gone.

"True Evil is gone." Said Syark. "That means that"

"Bakugan is vulnerable." Finished the Commander.

* * *

Pyreon kept fighting against both Janthide and Leonidas. "Face it Atom, you cannot win this battle." Said the Destruction. "It is a lost cause."

"A lost cause?" Asked Atom. "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive." Said the Destruction. "And do you know why?"

"Why?" Asked Atom.

"Because your friends were supposed to defend the other Reality, and failed to!" The Destruction laughed. "Whether you win this battle or not is a moot point! The Prime Bakugan Reality is vulnerable!" Atom gasped.

"Did I just hear that right?" Asked Dan. Drago turned his attention away from Vexos Dragonomon, who hit him.

"This is taking too long!" Said Magantron. He charged Magnatron.

"Ability Activate!" Said Andrew. "Stardust Lance!"

"Starbit Lance!" Said Magantron. Dragonomon charged Azion.

"Azion! You have to remember!" He yelled. Azion looked at him just as he struck, knocking Azion over. "Come on! You have to remember!"

"Remember what? Your false memories?" Asked Azion. He laughed. "Who do you think I am?" Dragonomon sighed.

"I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice!" Dragonomon began to glow again, and put his hands on Azion's head. "This is an ability I've never used before, but if it works I can free you!" Azion began to glow. "Enlightening!" The glow continued to grow in strength, and a shadow seemed to be leaving Azion. However, it went back into him as the glow faded. "Did it work?"

"Will you get off of me, you big oaf?" Asked Azion. He shoved Dragonomon out of the way. "You don't seem to get it! Whatever memories you have are false! They never happened!" Those words stung Dragonomon.

"You can't remember anything?" Dragonomon looked down, then back up. "That just means I have to try harder!" He swiped a Digimodify card and tried again. Atom looked back at the Reality to see another mass approaching.

"Oh come on!" He yelled.

"Oh yes." Said the Destruction. "Please, be my guest. Leave this fight to save the Reality. It'll be fun to watch!" The Destruction laughed. "Face it Atom, you've lost this battle! Concede now, and you'll have the chance to save the prime Bakugan Reality. If you don't, well, take a guess as to what will happen." Atom switch his gaze from the Destruction to the looming mass.

"What the heck do I do?" He remembered something vital and his mind travelled to that time.

* * *

Atom's mind travelled back to the first time he met Garfield in person. "But you're welcome to try!" Said past Spectra. It was the battle against Spectra when he had taken Drago and Leonidas. "The more your resist, the stronger they get!" He laughed.

"So what?" Asked past Atom. Spectra stopped laughing. "It doesn't matter the odds, for Reality Shifters will always beat them!" His Attributic wheel began to glow. Atom's mind jumped again, to a later point in the battle. It right at the point where he almost gave up.

"Garfield, Tom, I'm not sure what we can do." Said past Atom.

"Atom, never give up hope!" Said past Garfield. "We need to stick together, and come up with a plan. Like you said, never tell us the odds, because we will always beat them!"

"Yeah, Atom!" Said past Tom. "You have never given up, not even on me! You were willing to lose to me so that I could be freed from the Doom Dimension! You aren't just someone who looks at what is going on, then says he can't do it! You always try, no matter the odds! So now I'm asking you to do it again. We can do this!" Atom's mind jumped to another battle, this time in Invasion Core. He watched the battle take place, going from the end of the first round to the end of the second. The odds were not in his favor, given that he had no Reversion Abilities, but he never let it get to him. He fought on, no matter what!

"Atom, it is time once again." Atom's mind went blank, and he looked around.

"Who's there?" A light began shining, and took a form. It was Chronogian. "Chronogian?"

"Indeed. You have grown since I last saw you, but yet you still doubt yourself."

"Well, what can I do?" Asked Atom. "I'm faced with impossible odds. I can't stop both attacks at once."

"Who says you can't?" Atom looked at Chronogian. "You are capable of far more than you think. Use the strengths around you. I assume you understand what I'm talking about."

"You can't honestly mean"

"Yes Atom. I do. Now, go. Unlock your hidden power. Invasion Core will guide you." Chronogian began to glow. "You can bring about the change needed." Chronogian vanished.

"I will do my best." Said Atom. He focused again on the real world, and looked between the Destruction and the mass again. "I have to do this. Not only for my friends, but for everybody across all Realities!" His Attribute wheel began to glow, followed by him and Leonidas.

"What's happening?" Asked the Destruction. The glow got brighter. Magnatron and Magantron looked over, followed by Drago and Vexos Dragonomon. Everybody turned their attention to Atom and Leonidas. "No, it cannot be!" The glow continued to brighten. "Why didn't I see this before?" The Destruction realized something. "Leonidas is the first Timeline Bakugan, reborn!"

"What's going on Atom?" Asked Leonidas.

"Leo, it's time for us to upgrade our power." Atom smiled. "Invasion Core will guide the way. We have to draw on its strength!" The Reality began pulsing and glowing. The light hit the mass and stopped it. "The time is now to end this!" The light from Atom and Leonidas raced towards the Destruction.

"So, this is your power." He said. "No matter. You will fall, just like the others!"

* * *

A bright light glowed in the sky. Garfield looked at it. "Whoa! What's happening?" His phone rang.

"Are you seeing this?" Asked Cameron.

"If you mean the giant light, then yeah." Said Garfield. The light pulsed.

"We've got to get everybody together!" Said Cameron. "Let's plan to meet at Cera's."

"Got it." Said Garfield. He looked at the light again. "Is that happening inside or outside the Reality?" He shook his head. "I really, really need to learn what the heck is going on out there, especially since we don't have to worry about the Fabregans attacking." He made a break for Cera's house.

* * *

The Destruction began to glow with a dark light. "Fools! You think the power of one Reality is enough to stop me? I've destroyed many! Your power is no match for mine!"

"It's not about how much power you have." Said Atom. He looked at his friends and comrades. "It's about how much you are willing to give for your friends!" The light extended more, hitting Azion and Dragonomon. Dragonomon glowed brightly.

"Let's try this again!" He said. "Enlightening!" The power boost from Atom and Leonidas helped, and the shadow began to leave Azion. It was destroyed in the light, freeing him. The light encompassed the Destruction, who was protecting himself with his darkness. But the glow from the Reality began to fade slightly, and the mass pushed forward.

"Atom, whatever you're doing, do it fast!" Yelled Dan. Atom looked back at the Reality and noticed the mass. He took a deep breath.

"Here we go." He said. He looked up quickly. "Ready Leo?"

"Let's do it!" The light that surrounded them quickly went into them They glowed very brightly, making it impossible to see them. Five points of light entered the Reality, followed by another six. The Destruction gasped.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked. A few lights came from him and went into the Reality. Atom and Leonidas began to change. Leonidas's head grew two extra horns while his wings became cloaked in light. The claws on his hands covered his fingers. Atom changed to look similar to Leonidas, but at a smaller scale. His face remained unchanged, aside from scales covering the sides. The light began to die, revealing them slowly. "The true fight has begin. But it will not be fought today."

* * *

"Okay, so what's the current problem?" Asked Cera. "Why did we need to meet?"

"Did the Fabregans come back?" Asked Ashia.

"I hope not!" Said Bearth.

"Well, actually, did all of you see the light in the sky?" Asked Cameron.

"How could we have missed it?" Asked Akira. "It was brighter than the sun!"

"It's about that."

"What's so important about the light?" Asked Cera.

"Could it be a warning?" Asked Zavanna. Five lights appeared around them and Garfield's Attribute Wheel began to glow.

"What's going on?" He asked, looking at his hand. One light went above each of the Neo Brawlers, except Garfield and Zavanna, and floated down into them. They glowed slightly. Cameron broke the silence.

"Uh, what the heck just happened!?"

"Ditto." Said Jayden. Their hands glowed.

"What's wrong with your hands?" Asked Zavanna. The brawlers who just glowed looked at their hands, seeing Attribute Wheels.

"Well, this is surprising." Said Akira.

"You think?!" Asked Ashia.

"Did we just become Reality Shifters like you?" Asked Cameron, signifying Garfield.

"I honestly have no clue!" Said Garfield. "Remember, I know nothing about this!" Six more lights appeared and went into the Bakugan.

"Okay, this is getting weird!" Said Blazeon.

"What is causing this?" Asked Aquafibian. The room began to glow.

"Now what?" Asked Cera. The Neo Battle Brawlers vanished, leaving Zavanna.

"Where did they go?"

* * *

The light vanished completely, revealing Atom and Leonidas, changed. "Dude, what's going on?" Asked Dan.

"This is the power of Invasion Core." Said Atom. He looked at his hands, seeing draconic ones.

"This is very strange." Leonidas looked himself over, seeing several things different. He looked at the Destruction again. "But let's use this power!"

"Agreed." Said Atom. "All of you, back away!" He directed it towards everybody else.

"You can't honestly think you can beat him by yourself!" Called Marucho.

"I know I can't." Said Atom. "But I don't know the extent of this power, so I don't know what could happen. As much as I want to just go for it, I know that your safety is more important. Now go!" Everybody mentioned backed up a bit, including Azion.

"Azion, are you back?" Asked Dragonomon.

"Yes." Said Azion. "Thanks." He looked at Pyreon. "Think we can help him?" They didn't notice Spectra and Bill behind them.

"Yeah, you're not leaving us yet!" Said Spectra. Energy raced from them at Azion again. But it stopped short when they were head-butted by someone. Azion looked at the person to see Garfield.

"Garfield?" Cameron came next, followed by Akira.

"What's going on?" Asked Dan. Jayden appeared.

"Who are you guys?" Asked Takato. Cera and Ashia came next, finishing the group.

"Well, I recognize one of them." Said Keith. "Do you remember me, Garfield?" Garfield looked at him.

"Keith?" Garfield took a deep breath. "Quick question. How long has it been since we saw each other?"

"Oh, about four years."

"So, you're not Spectra anymore?"

"No, that's him." Said Keith, pointing at Spectra. Garfield did a double take.

"How are you two separated? Aren't you the same person?!"

"Long story with that one." Said Keith.

"Well, I never expected this." Said the Destruction. "But I know when I should take my victories. I've captured your friends and I've made Bakugan vulnerable. So as much as I would like to destroy you here and now, I'd rather break your spirit first! Goodbye!" The Destruction glowed, followed by Spectra, Bill, Magantron, Vexos Dragonomon, Chaos and Tom. Their Bakugan returned to them, followed by Pyreon to Spectra.

"Pyreon!" Called Azion.

"We'll be seeing you around!" Said Bill.

"I will keep my freedom!" Said Vexos Dragonomon.

"You will lose, brother!"

"Hold onto those false memories, Atom." Said Chaos.

"And then falter before us!" Said Tom.

"This is getting interesting." Said Spectra. They all vanished, including the mass behind the Reality. Atom looked at the Neo Battle Brawlers.

"Well, I guess we've got a few more to help us." He said.

"Atom?" Asked Garfield.

"Man, you sure do look weird like that!" Said Jayden. Energy began leaving Atom and Leonidas, returning them to normal.

"It felt weird to be like that." Said Atom. Leonidas returned to ball form and Atom caught him.

"I'm very tired all of a sudden." He said.

"Me too." Said Atom. Cameron laughed.

"Reversion will do that to you."

"So that's what I got from tapping into the Reality. I guess it really did guide the way." He thought back to what Genesis said. "And I guess my Shifter abilities really were my key." He took a deep breath and fell over.

"Atom!" Yelled Cassie. He fell asleep.

"Well, the first time is very taxing." Said Cameron. "I'm surprised he lasted that long!" Cassie glared at him.

"How could you make fun at this point in time? Didn't you hear what was said? The Prime Bakugan Reality is vulnerable! Atom's the only one here who can combat the Destruction!"

"What do you expect us to do?" Asked Jayden. "We're not the ones who knocked him out!"

"Maybe we could get to a bigger question." Said Cera. Everybody present looked at her. "Actually two questions. What the heck are we doing out here and who are most of you?"

* * *

 _Well, we've come to the first breakpoint. Bakugan is vulnerable. The Destruction is heading for it. If we can't stop it, we lose. Game Over. And the only person capable of actually stopping it is out of commission for a while! Could our luck get any worse? Gah! Why did I say that? Now what's going to happen?_

 **I did ask Switch - On - 97 for permission to use his idea of Reversion and use of his characters. Cameron, Garfield, Jayden, Cera, Akira, Ashia, Zavanna, Blazeon, Aquafibian and Bearth (All characters mentioned this chapter) belong to him/the people who created them (Jayden and Cera specifically). I own no rights to them except the ability to use them in this story. Also, this is written as post-story, in regards to Invasion Core.**


	20. Danger Approaching

**Still not quite regular, but here! I was at a Robotics Competition this weekend, so that's why this is late. We did quite well this time. We made it to Semifinals! Here's hoping for the next one! Anyways, here you all go! Another chapter of Destruction! Enjoy.**

Bakugan is in danger, and the only person capable of stopping it is out of commission. The Destruction must've planned this, otherwise why else would it have drawn out the battle like that? But things are only going to get worse from here on out. What can we do?

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

"So, who are most of you?" Asked Cera. "We all know the battle brawlers, but who are the rest of you?" Rika sighed.

"Well, we're not getting anywhere right now, so we might as well delve into the story. My name is Rika. These guys" she pointed at the Tamers, "are Takato, Henry, Kenta, Kazu, Suzie and Ryo. And they" she pointed at the Digimon, "are Digimon. Now before you start asking questions, think of them as the Digital Bakugan of Interspace, but as intelligent beings capable of existing in the real world."

"Makes sense." Said Cera.

"I'm still confused." Said Cameron.

"Not hard to do!" Said Blazeon.

"Will you two be quiet?" Asked Akira. She looked at Rika again. "Continue please."

"Actually, this is where I step in." Said Ford. "I'm Ford. That's Stan, my brother. Those are me great niece and nephew Mabel and Dipper. That's Robbie. She's Wendy. He's Gideon. He's Soos and he's Fiddleford. And finally, she's Pacifica."

"I'm taking a guess here, but have we become Reality Shifters?" Asked Jayden.

"Yeah." Said Cassie. Garfield turned his head to her.

"Say, uh, who are you? I remember Azion from when I first saw Atom, but I don't remember you."

"Well, you probably wouldn't." Said Cassie. "That was long before we found each other again. You see, I was on Neathia when you guys first met."

"Neathia?" Asked Ashia. "So, you're a Neathian? How cool!"

"Hold on, just a secon"

"How skilled of a Brawler are you? I bet you got very good because of the war!"

"Can you please"

"So how do you know Atom? Is he your boyfriend?"

"No, no he's not. He's my cousin!" Cassie got out. Ashia stopped talking.

"Oh."

"You really need to work on your listening skills." Said Jayden.

"Oh, shut up!"

"Anyways." Said Cassie. "I'm Atom's cousin. While he got sent to Earth, I got sent to Neathia. But because of my very limited knowledge about Bakugan, I couldn't do much brawling." She sighed. "My primary knowledge isn't Bakugan. That's Atom. My knowledge is Gravity Falls, these guys." She gestured towards them. "But we have more pressing issues now. We need to get to Bakugan, get Atom to wake up and we need to stop the Destruction. Any ideas?"

"What about dimensional gates?" Asked Garfield. "Could we use one of those?"

"We could, if we were in a Reality." Said Clate. "Unfortunately, we're outside Reality. There's no dimensions we could transport to. We can't use them."

"Well, how do you guys usually travel between Realities?" Asked Cameron.

"Slowly." Said Cassie. "We have to travel ourselves unless helped by another force."

"And what is this 'other force'? Asked Ashia. A blue portal appeared nearby.

"Those." Said Azion. He grabbed Atom. "Let's go!" He made a beeline for the portal.

"Unless you guys want to be left behind, I suggest you follow." Said Cassie. She went towards the portal.

"Come on!" Said Dan. Everybody else went towards the portal.

"I don't know about you guys, but I don't like the idea of trying to find them." Said Garfield. He went after the group.

"If he's going, I'm going!" Said Cameron.

"We all are." Said Cera. The Neo Battle Brawlers followed everybody else into the portal.

* * *

"Any luck down below?" Asked the Commander.

"Well, I got the coolant flow reregulated." Said Claip. He looked over at the propulsor engines. "Sort of, at least. They won't meltdown, but I make no guarantees of how long they'll last." Rumbling resounded through the ground. "And I still have to fix that."

"Another time." Said the Commander. Right now, we have far, far bigger worries than a little rumbling."

"I see." Said Claip. "So Invasion Core went down?"

"No, not Invasion Core. True Evil went down."

"Either way, it's a disaster." Said Claip. "So what's the plan?"

"The defenders are going to come back and we're heading to Bakugan. With luck, we'll get there before the Destruction."

"And if we don't?" Asked Claip.

"Then kiss our chances at saving Reality One goodbye."

* * *

"Bakugan is vulnerable." Said the Destruction. He looked at Spectra and Bill, then to Tom and Chaos. "However, we lost an asset in that battle. Tell me, Spectra, Bill, what happened?"

"It was Dragonomon." Said Spectra. "He used another one of his abilities. If I recall correctly, it was called Enlightenment. He used it to push our control of Azion out of him. However, it was the glow from Atom and Leonidas that made it possible to destroy that control. Any idea what caused it?"

"I remember that the Reality glowed while he was glowing." Said Bill. "Does that have anything to do with it?"

"Perhaps." Said the Destruction. He began thinking, back to his battles against the first five. He remembered something. "Of course. Just as Leonidas is the Timeline Bakugan reborn, Atom is the First Shifter reborn. He has the power to draw upon Realities and gain powers from them. Invasion Core has brawlers capable of uniting powers with their Bakugan, making them stronger. This ability is known as Reversion. But now we have the advantage. Reversion takes a lot out of someone every time they use it. Atom will be out of commission until long after Bakugan is destroyed. It was all part of the plan."

"Well, how did you know it was going to happen?"

"I have my sources." Said the Destruction. He seemed to stare off into space, then got an idea. "And I think I know the best way to end his pitiful life."

* * *

The portal deposited everybody onto the bridge, near Syark. "So, how did it go?" He asked.

"Well, we've got good news and bad news." Said Azion.

"Good news, you defended Invasion Core. Bad news, True evil fell, right?" Asked Syark.

"How did you" started Rika.

"We've been monitoring many of the Realities in danger." Said Syark. "When we got readings of you three at Invasion Core, we checked True Evil and found it to be gone. Destroyed. We got started moving towards Bakugan to try and defend it when our sensors were completely blinded. We assumed it had to do with your battle. But no matter. All of you are safe, right?"

"Almost all of us." Said Dan. "Tom and Chaos are still being controlled by the Destruction, along with their partners. And then they still have Pyreon. To top it all off, well, you'd better see for yourself." Azion turned around and dropped Atom, still out cold. Leonidas rolled out of his hand. Syark blinked in surprise.

"Well then." Was all he said. He pressed the comms button. "Forlia, could you come up here please? Yes, I know there's sickness all around but I need an expert! It's important!" Someone replied. "How about saving all Realities important? Is that enough?! Well, is it?" Another reply. "Thank you. We'll see you in a bit." He let go of the comms button.

"Folia?" Asked Marucho.

"Forlia" Syark corrected "is our lead medic. There isn't a symptom she hasn't seen before. If anybody can figure out what happened to Atom, it's her." Someone came into the room.

"Alright Syark, who needs my help up here?" She asked. It was Forlia. She looked around and saw somebody on the floor. "Is that who I think it is?" Atom's head flopped to the side and Forlia gasped. "It is him! No wonder you called me up here! I'll get to work immediately." She reached into the air, and her hand vanished.

"What the?" Asked Ashia.

"Don't worry." Said Forlia. "I'm simply grabbing my tools." She pulled her arm back, bringing out a bag. She opened it and pulled out several small devices.

"What are those things?" Asked Daniel.

"Basic medical tools." Said Forlia. "Now be quiet! I'm trying to focus." Forlia pressed one of the tools to Atom's forehead, then to his arm. She shook her head. "Classic case of both a power overload and extreme exhaustion. He'll be out for a few hours."

"Well, is there any way we can speed that up?" Asked Clate. Everybody looked at him. "What? This is my problem just as much as it is all of yours."

"Unless you guys have a way to connect yourselves to him, I don't see any way to speed up the process." Said Forlia. She packed up her stuff. "However, I don't think you have much to worry about. He will wake up before we get to Bakugan. Far, far before."

"Will he wake up before the Destruction comes?" Asked Cam.

"That's a good question." Said Forlia. "His brainwave activities are fine, along with his bodily functions. But his cognitive abilities are completely unresponsive. Even if you were to do tricks that usually work, he wouldn't even respond." She sighed. "There aren't many ways to help him while he's in this state. He just needs time."

"Great." Said Hanabi. "The one thing we don't have."

"Actually, I think that there is a way." Said Syark. Forlia looked at him.

"And just what do you suggest?"

"You said his brainwaves are acting normally, right?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean he's dreaming?"

"Anything's possible." Ford got what Syark was saying.

"What if someone linked up with him in his mind and tried to wake him up from there?" He asked. Forlia gasped.

"That, that's ludicrous! The person who goes in will not know what they're getting into! For all we know, his mind is so entangled in different things that you won't be able to find him! Say you could get in. What would you do?"

"I don't know." Said Dan. "But I'm willing!"

"But Dan" started Marucho.

"No buts Marucho. Think of everything he's helped us with in the past. Without him, we would've been attacked by Naga sooner than we were. Spectra might've kept Drago or destroyed him because of what Azion told him. Barodius might've won the war with what Chaos was able to help him with. And don't forget Mechtavius Destroyer! Face it, we have to help him, no matter the danger!" The group was silent for a moment.

"Well, when he's right, he's right." Said Keith. "And we need to him now more than ever. Which one of us can combat the Destruction at Bakugan? If Dan's going, I'm going!"

"Don't forget about us!" Said Drago.

"We need to get Leonidas moving too!" Agreed Helios.

"If you guys are sure about this" started Forlia.

"Don't even ask." Said Dan. "We're doing this!"

"Very well." She looked at Ford. "I'm assuming you know of a way to do it. So get to work."

"Got it." Said Ford. "I'll need a mental mapper, a transmitter, a"

"Why don't you just follow me?" Asked Forlia. "I have most of that stuff in the medic unit."

"Sure thing." They left the room. Dan looked at Atom.

"We're coming to get you." He said. Syark pulled up the map of Bakugan.

"Well, we at least have some time. The Destruction won't get to Bakugan for quite a while yet." He pressed a few more buttons. "According to this, it's actually stagnant right now."

"For those of us without degrees in advanced language, can you dial down the language a bit?" Asked Cindy.

"We can't understand a word you're saying!" Agreed Yuri.

"It's not moving." Stated Syark. Ford and Forlia came back.

"Okay, got almost everything I need." Ford looked at Cam and Cassie. "Now then, I'll need your help."

"With what?" Asked Cam.

"You two can make small devices, and I'll need some help to finish this. Can you make the things I describe?"

"We can try." Said Cassie.

"Okay, here's the first part I need" started Ford. After a lot of trial and error, Ford got his machine ready. "And done." He tightened the final screw. "Okay. This machine will take the mental persona of the person or people under here" he pointed to one side "and transfer into the mind of the person here." He pointed at the other side. "Are you two ready?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Asked Dan. He quickly went under the one side.

"I suppose." Said Keith. He also went under. Ford pressed one of the buttons on the side and the machine whirred.

"This might feel weird, just as a warning." The machine flashed on Dan and Keith's side and they slumped. A flash happened on Atom's side and his body jolted. "Okay, that's done. Now, as for the Bakugan." Ford moved all three out of the way then grabbed Drago, Helios and Leonidas. "You two stay there." He placed Drago and Helios under the same part Dan and Keith were under. "And I'll put Leonidas here." He placed Leonidas where Atom was. "Good luck!" He pressed the button.

* * *

Drago and Helios were travelling quickly through a black tunnel. Drago turned to Helios. "Well, here's hoping!"

"You got that right, Drago!" The area in front of them began to brighten, then opened up. What they saw was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Dan and Keith appeared beside them.

"Whoa!" Said Dan. "Where are we?"

"Dan?" Asked Drago.

"They must be having a conjoined dream." Said Keith. All four looked around, seeing that they were in an arena.

"So, where are we?" Asked Dan. A loud noise sounded and all four looked up to see a large screen.

 _Welcome to Bakugan World Stadium! The place for all the battles you'll ever need! Let's check out some new members!_ The screen changed and began showing several people.

"What the heck is going on?" Asked Dan.

"Looks like a tournament." Said Keith. "But is this really a dream or is it real?"

 _And now for our newest member! He claims to be a Reality Shifter capable of perceiving many things at once,_

"Do you think" started Drago.

 _He always tends to be quick to understand, and he's eager to brawl! Welcome Atom!_

"Yep." Said Helios. "That's him."

 _Check out the directories to find these new members! Be sure to give them good brawls!_ The screen faded.

"Well, let's go find him." Said Dan. Drago and Helios reverted to ball form and landed on their partner's shoulders. Dan and Keith looked around and saw one the mentioned directories. Dan went over to it first and touched it, turning it on.

 _State the name of the brawler you are looking for._

"We're looking for Atom." Said Dan.

 _Searching._ The machine glowed. _Atom can be found in the Gym. Map uploading._ Dan's Bakumeter beeped. He looked at it to see a map.

"Let's be on our way then." Said Keith. They began traversing the area.

* * *

"The time is now." Said the Destruction. He looked at Spectra and Bill again. "We must get moving. We cannot wait any longer."

"Understood." Said Spectra.

"Time for our first big win!" Said Bill. "But what are we going to do if Atom wakes up before we're done?"

"The odds of that are astronomical." Said the Destruction. "But I've planned for it, just in case. We will destroy his mind before sending him away!"

"I like it." Said Bill. The Destruction looked at Setne.

"Are you ready?"

"Still haven't found the right spell." Said Setne. "I'm a no-go."

"Very well. Keep looking." The Destruction, Spectra, Bill, Chaos and Tom began to glow. "Let's be on our way!" They vanished.

* * *

Syark noticed a change in the Destruction. "Looks like our break is over."

"Is the Destruction on the move again?" Asked Marucho.

"Unfortunately, yes." The map zoomed in. "At its current pace, we should get there before it does. But if Dan and Keith can't wake Atom up by then, we won't be able to hold it off." He looked at all six who were unconscious. "We just have to hope."

* * *

"Well, looks like this is the place." Said Dan. He stepped towards the gym area.

"I suppose so." Said Keith. They walked in to see a few battles taking place.

"Ability Activate!"

"Gate Card, Open!" Lots of people were brawling.

"Man, how are we supposed to find Atom here?" Asked Dan.

"Are you two lost?" Dan and Keith turned to see Atom. "I might be new here, but I think I know skilled brawlers from unskilled brawlers."

"Unskilled?" Asked Dan. "Are you kidding me? You're one of the most skilled brawlers I've seen!"

"Nice of you to say, but I've never battled here before. Or anywhere else for that matter. This is my first day." A Bakugan popped open on Atom's shoulder.

"Maybe one of these two could give us a battle." Said the Bakugan.

"Not a bad idea, Leo." Said Atom.

"Leonidas?" Asked Dan. He had forgotten what he had originally looked like. "What happened to you man? Why did you devolve?"

"What do you mean devolve?" Asked Leonidas. "I've been this way for a while. In fact, my whole life." Dan gasped.

"I think I know how to wake them up." Whispered Keith. "One of us just needs to remind them of who they are."

"Yeah, I hear ya." Said Dan. He looked back at Atom. "So, you want a battle? I'm up for it."

"Great!" Said Atom. He pressed a few buttons on his Bakumeter. A field opened nearby. "Let's go." He walked over to it. Dan followed. They stood on opposite sides. "You ready?"

"Let's do this." Said Dan.

"Gate Card, Set!" Said Atom. "Bakugan, Brawl! Light them up Leo!" Leonidas rose, in his original form.

"You're not getting the jump on me!" Said Dan. "Bakugan, Brawl! Baku-Sky Raider, Jump!" Drago jumped at Leonidas, but Leonidas dodged.

"You'll have to be faster than that." He said. Dan looked at the Gs and noticed something odd.

"Hey, what gives?" Leonidas was at 450, but Drago was at only 500.

"Have you really forgotten the new rule changes? All Bakugan start at 500 Gs during their first evolution. You can't just start high up like usual."

"What?" Asked Dan.

"Maybe you're not the Dan Kuso of this place." Said Atom. "Anyways, I'll give you the first move."

"You're gonna regret it!" Said Dan. "Ability Activate! Dragon Blade! That should make this battle easy!" Drago went in towards Leonidas, but only gained 200 Gs. "Okay, I really gotta watch the G-Powers."

"That's not going to beat me." Said Atom. "Ability Activate! G-Power Burst!"

"Good call!" Said Leonidas. He glowed and Drago lost 400 Gs.

"Come on!" Said Dan. Leonidas was still at 450 but Drago was down to 300. "Okay, let's try this! Ability Activate! Dragon Spur!" Drago gained 600 Gs.

"So, you're trying to negate my Ability are you? Not happening!" Said Atom. "Gate Card Open! Ability Activate! " His Bakumeter glowed and the card glowed. "Forced Change! This card will make any Bakugan capable of Form Change change Attribute! I call Ventus!" Both Drago and Leo turned Ventus, stopping Drago's Dragon Spur. "Well, I didn't expect that. Anyways, my ability is Nova Split!" Leonidas cloned himself into Haos. Dan looked at the Gs to see that Drago was back down to 300. However, Leonidas was now at 900. "Your move!"

"Let's go for the Fusion Shield!" Said Dan. The effects of Atom's previous card were negated.

"Ability Activate!" Said Atom. "Ability Breaker! I'm negating your counter! And since you used your second one, you cannot counter any more!"

"What?" Asked Dan. "Fine. You want to play it that way? Ability Activate! Dragon Tornado! This should" he noticed that he only transferred 200 Gs. "Oh come on!" Leonidas was still 200 Gs ahead.

"Time for the attack! Go for it Leo!" Said Atom.

"With pleasure!" Both Leonidases went in and attacked Drago, defeating him.

"Just for reference, we're playing with 500 LPs." Said Atom. Dan's gauge fell by 200. "Your move!"

"Man, this is going to be harder than I thought." Thought Dan. "Looks like I'll have to be crafty for this." He grabbed a Gate Card. "You're going to regret facing off against me! Gate Card, Set! Bakugan, Brawl! Rise Pyrus Fusion Dragonoid!"

"Hey Leo, you mind sitting out for a round?" Asked Atom.

"I could use a breather." Said Leo.

"Okay." Atom grabbed another Bakugan. "Bakugan, Brawl! Rise Chronogian!" Chronogian rose.

"What the?" Asked Dan.

"Well, this is surprising." Said Keith. Both Bakugan were at 500 Gs.

"You're up first." Said Atom.

"Okay." Said Dan. "Ability Activate! Dragon Exploder!" Drago gained 200 Gs.

"You're not beating me with that." Said Atom. "Ability Activate! Glowing Light! This will allow me to bring out another Bakugan! You ready Leo?"

"I guess my short break is over." He said. "Throw me in!"

"You got it!" Atom threw Leonidas in. "Special Shot!" He called. "Capital Shine! Drago's base power level is reduced by 150 for the rest of the brawl!" Drago's power level went down by 150.

"Man, Atom is far better here than he ever was back home. And that's with a base Leonidas!" Thought Dan. "I've got to pull this through." He looked at the power difference. Drago was at 550 and Atom's Bakugan were at 950. "I got it! Ability Activate! Dragon Tornado!" That set both power levels to 750.

"Time for a Double Ability! Haos Switch plus Recursion Boost!" Said Atom. "Haos Switch will replace the current Gate Card with one of my own! Then it opens. Time for another Forced Change! This time to Darkus! Then Recursion Boost Activates!" Dan and Keith both remembered what that did. "I choose to reactivate Glowing Light!" A red Bakugan and a blue Bakugan rose up. "I choose to send in Pyreon and Slight!" Both called Bakugan went in. That added 1000 Gs to Atom's side.

"Not good." Said Dan. Drago was at 750 while Atom's team was at 1750. "But I think I can knock you down a peg! Ability Activate! Dragon Eternal Force!" Drago gained 1000 Gs.

"Not bad." Said Atom. "But try this for size! I currently have Pyrus, Aquos, Darkus and Haos Bakugan on the battlefield. Time for another of my special abilities. It's not a Special Ability, but it's pretty nice! Fusion Ability Activate! Shine Arrow! I choose to clone Leonidas!" Another Haos Leonidas appeared. "And now a consecutive Ability! Geo Split!" A Subterra Leonidas appeared. Atom's side gained another 900 Gs, putting them at 2650 Gs. Drago was still at 1750.

"Oh man!" Said Dan.

"Your move." Said Atom.

"I've got to pull this out of the gutter, and soon!" Thought Dan. "But how?" He looked at his cards again. "I've got nothing!"

"So, you skip your turn?" Asked Atom. Dan sighed. "Okay. Everybody! Go!" Drago got attacked and was swiftly defeated, returning to Dan. His gauge fell empty. All of Atom's Bakugan returned to him. "Good brawl. That was fun!"

* * *

"What do you think is happening in there?" Asked Runo.

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say a brawl." Said Julie. "You know how Dan is."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Said Runo.

* * *

"So, what'd you think? Am I pretty good for a beginner?" Asked Atom.

"But you're not a beginner!" Said Dan. "You're an expert brawler! Not to mention"

"You think I'm that good already?" Asked Atom. "And I was thinking I was pretty good."

"But this isn't you." Said Keith. "Yes, you're Atom. And yes, you're a Reality Shifter. But this isn't you or Leo. You're an expert brawler, and you've helped to defend the Bakugan Reality!"

"You helped in every situation against our greatest enemies! Naga, Zenoheld, Barodius, Mag Mel and Mechtavius Destroyer!" Said Dan. "And Leo. You've evolved with Drago almost every time. You're not a basic Leonidas. You're supposed to be a Mythical Leonidas, your final stage!"

"You are capable of Form Change and Energy Twist. You drew on the power of a Reality to achieve a new level of power! You guys aren't who you truly are right now. Wake up!" Everything Keith and Dan said registered in Atom and Leonidas. Atom's eyes flashed a bit, then he shook his head.

"Wait, if that's true then" his mind realigned. "Whoa. Brain rush."

"You said it." Said Leonidas. He began to glow and changed into Mythical Leonidas. "But I think our heads are clear now. Thanks guys!"

"So you're going to be able to wake up now?" Asked Dan.

"Not yet." Said Atom. "Our bodies are still exhausted. But you guys did accelerate the process." The area began to vanish. "Now, as for how to get you two back to your bodies. How did you get in here?"

"Ford made a device that transferred our 'personas' into your mind." Said Dan. "Not entirely sure what that means."

"Got it." Said Atom. A door appeared behind him. "This should take you out of our minds and back into yours. Good luck."

"Thanks Atom!" Said Dan.

"Let's hope we can defend." Said Keith. They left through the door.

"I hope so too." Said Atom.

* * *

Dan and Keith stirred. "Hey! They're waking up!" Called Marucho. Dan and Keith woke up.

"Man, what happened?" Asked Dan.

"Well, you guys went into Atom's mind to try and wake him up." Said Marucho. Everybody else came up. "And just in time too. Look!" Dan and Keith looked at the screen Marucho was pointing at to see that the Destruction was on the move. "So when will Atom wake up?"

"We're not sure. All we did was accelerate the process to them waking up." Said Keith. He looked at Atom and Leonidas. "We can only hope for the best."

"We're approaching the Bakugan Reality." Said Syark. "Be ready. We just have to hold out long enough."

* * *

 _We've made it. Atom is waking up, but the Destruction is here. We have to hold out long enough to save Bakugan! But when the battle turns sour, what will come of all of us? Who will survive the battle if we lose? Everything is breaking apart. We have to endure!_

 ** _Permission to reference Bakugan World Championship granted by Admin Damian Kirifuda. Like most everything else in these stories, I have no rights to it._**


	21. Bitter Loss

We've made it before the Destruction. We have to last long enough to force it back! But who am I kidding? We just need to last long enough for Atom and Leo to wake up! We can do it! But something tells me it's not going to be easy. Whatever the cost, whatever it takes, we will defend!

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

The Bakugan Reality loomed ahead, beckoning the Destruction. "The time is now." He said. He looked back to his comrades in this battle. He knew he would win, even if it meant sacrificing one of them. His goal would be achieved. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

Dan was the first one out. "Come on guys! It's coming!" Everybody rushed after him.

"Wait up Dan! You can't beat it by yourself!" Yelled Runo.

"Yeah!" Said Julie. "We're a team! We're going to defend our Reality together!"

"All the way!" Said Marucho. Shun nodded.

"And if you guys are defending, we'll defend as well!" Said Andrew.

"And don't forget about us!" Said Rika. "If Bakugan falls, so does everything else!"

"We will win this day!" Agreed Cassie. Azion looked at Dragonomon.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm just not sure how much help I'm going to be without Pyreon." Said Azion. "Without him, I can't brawl."

"Well, you still have me, right?" Asked Dragonomon.

"What are you two murmuring about?" Asked Garfield.

"Nothing." Said Azion.

"You know you're very obvious, right?" Asked Cameron. "You're missing your partner, aren't you?"

"How did you" started Azion.

"I would be doing the same if I lost Blazeon."

"That counts for all of us!" Said Ashia.

"Thanks guys." Said Azion. The group stopped in front of the Bakugan Reality.

"Here we go guys. Nothing's going to stop us!" Said Dan. "Bakugan, Brawl!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said the rest who had Bakugan.

"Digimodify!" Said the Tamers and Cindy.

"Charizard, I choose you!" Said Daniel.

"Time to protect our home!" Said Drago.

"We either win this together," started Skyress.

"Or we lose apart!" Finished Tigrerra.

"We must endure." Said Gorem.

"Or else our home will be lost, forever!" Said Preyas.

"We cannot fail." Said Hydranoid.

"Oh, we won't fail!" Said Blazeon. "We'll trounce them easy!"

"You said it Blazeon!" Said Cameron.

"Be wary of overconfidence." Said Lunaris. "There is a fine line."

"With how many we have, we can't lose!" Said Aquafibian.

"But we must stay vigilant." Said Garfield.

"Our strength is in our united powers." Said Bearth.

"We have to stay together on this." Said Magnatron.

"We will!" Said Andrew.

"All of us." Said Cindy. Darkness began to loom ahead.

"Be ready!" Called Cassie.

"It's coming." Said Cam.

"Let's face this head on!" Said Yuri.

"Please be careful brother, dear." Said Hanabi.

"I'm up for it!" Said Daniel. The darkness continued to draw closer.

* * *

"This is it." Said the Commander. "The first major battle." He sighed. "I feel scared, yet also relieved. We can do this."

"Aye sir!" Said Syark. He pressed the comms button. "Everybody, be on guard. The Destruction is coming. Remain calm and be ready."

"Engineering is ready to go!" Said Claip.

"Medical Bay is ready." Said Forlia. "Atom is still out, but his body is starting to respond."

"Dispatch ready and able!" Said Likuti.

"Getting everybody prepared." Said Hydrona. "Bakugan and Digimon supplies are running low, so be wary."

"We're almost out of Digivices and Bakumeters?" Asked Syark.

"That's the sad reality." Said Hydrona. The alarm went off.

"Looks like we're out of time." Said the Commander. The screen pulled up the Destruction and his allies.

* * *

"Hm, seems that the Infinity Matrix has taken notice of us." Said the Destruction. The darkness behind him began to coagulate. "Time to end their fun!" The darkness raced out at the Infinity Matrix, striking it hard.

* * *

The room began to turn, knocking the Commander off balance. "What was that?!"

"Sir, the Destruction fired at us! Almost all ports are offline. Major failures across the board!" Another alarm sounded. "And it seems that power is going down. We're sitting ducks here!" The lights began to flicker before all the non-emergency ones turned off. "Power is down." Syark's console turned off. "All controls disabled. We're blind, deaf and dumb." The Commander growled.

"Now what?"

* * *

"Did you see that?" Asked Akira.

"How could we not?" Asked Dan. "The entire Infinity Matrix toppled!"

"Now what?" Asked Cam.

"We fight on." Said Biagron. "We fight until we can fight no more!"

"Only thing we can do right now." Said Andrew. "We needed the backup from the Infinity Matrix to hold him off. Without it," he didn't need to finish.

* * *

"Now we've got the upper hand." Said Spectra.

"Without the Infinity Matrix to back them up, they're helpless!" Said Bill. "Especially when we use our power against them."

"Don't get overconfident." Said the Destruction. "They're still powerful." He looked back to Tom and Chaos. "But we should still have an advantage with them."

"Then shall we get started?" Asked Spectra. He grabbed Helios. Tom grabbed Slight and Pyreon while Chaos grabbed Vladitor.

"Have at it." Said the Destruction. "I will take care of Azion and Cassie.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Spectra.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Tom and Chaos.

"Bakugan, Stand! Rise Pyrus Darkus Probability Helios!"

"Bakugan, Stand!" Said Tom. "Wash them away Aquos Tsunami Slight! Burn them to the ground Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon!"

"Baku-Sky Raider, Jump!" Said Chaos. "Darken their day Darkus Doomic Vladitor!"

"Get ready!" Yelled Bill. He turned red and summoned blue fire. They all charged.

* * *

Azion stared down those in the darkness. "Ready to get Pyreon back, Dragonomon?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Asked Dragonomon. The two prepared to go.

"Where do you think you're going?" Asked Cassie.

"Yeah! We need you here!" Said Janthide. Azion sighed.

"We're going to go get Pyreon. I have to save him!"

"You won't be able to save anybody if the Destruction beats us!" Said Cassie.

"She's right." Said Dragonomon. He looked at Azion again. "We will get Pyreon back. But we just can't do it right now." He looked back to the darkness ahead. "Looks like we got company!"

"You've got more than just company!" Said Spectra. "Ability Activate! Destructive Chance!" A dynamite symbol appeared on Probability Helios's chest, then he generated two glowing orbs. He launched them at the group.

"Not on my watch!" Said Andrew. "Ability Activate! Stardust Lance!"

"Nice try!" Said Magantron. "Starbit Lance!" The two attacks cancelled out. The orbs approached.

"Ability Activate!" Said Dan. "Dragon Astral!" Drago fired at one of the orbs, destroying it. But the other continued on and hit the Reality. It rippled, hitting only the brawlers and their Bakugan.

"Man, this sucks!" Said Dan. The ripples stopped. "If the Reality gets hit, we feel it!"

"That's because it's your home Reality that's being destroyed." Said Spectra.

"Then why aren't you feeling it?" Asked Marucho.

"Because, my home is no longer the Bakugan Reality. It's out here."

"But that's besides the point." Said Bill. "The real deal here is taking all of you out!" He fired lots of fireballs at them.

"Oh no you won't!" Said Marucho. "Ability Activate! Blue Squall!" Preyas whipped up a wave of water and blocked the fireballs.

"Missed one!" Said Bill. He fired one more to the side of Preyas. It went right past him.

"Oh no!" He said. The fireball hit the Reality, sending out more ripples. The brawlers screamed out.

"We've gotta fight through this!" Said Dan.

"But it's debilitating!" Said Runo. "As long as they keep hitting the Reality, we're helpless!"

"Well we're not!" Said Cindy. "Magnaliger! Crocolomon! Let's go!"

"Right!" They said.

"Ability Activate! Power Pounce!"

"Predator Jab!" Said Crocolomon.

"Don't leave us out!" Said Andrew. "Ability Activate! Arcane Supernova!" Magnatron fired.

"Ability Activate!" Said Hanabi. "Venoshock!"

"Ability Activate! Power Punch!" Said Yuri.

"Blow Down!" Yelled Cam. All five attacks went at those in the darkness.

"Wanna bet?" Asked Tom. "Form Change! Haos! Ability Activate! Blinding Reversal!" All of the attacks stopped moving and went back at those who fired them. They dodged, but the Reality got hit. Many more ripples resonated, hitting the Brawlers.

"Ability Activate!" Said Garfield. "Spinning Fury!" Aquafibian spun up and attacked Probability Helios.

* * *

The ripples went through the Infinity Matrix, hitting everybody. Most went unaffected, but two got hit by them. Atom's Attribute Wheel and Leonidas began to glow. Forlia looked at them. "They must be feeling the aftershocks of the battle. I really hope they're doing okay!" Another ripple came through, and Leonidas glowed brighter. He opened.

"What's happening?" He asked, feeling the pain of the ripples. Forlia smiled.

"Great! One of you is awake!" She looked at Atom. "Come on, wake up!" His Attribute Wheel just continued glowing.

* * *

The Brawlers recovered from the most recent ripple. "This isn't working!" Said Marucho. "Every time we use one of our attacks, another one just hits the Reality!"

"I know." Said Shun. "But what can we do except continue on?" Skyress attacked again.

"Ability Activate!" Said Chaos. "Demolition Hammer!" Vladitor threw his hammer at Drago, who took the hit to prevent it from hitting the Reality. The hammer vanished after it hit Drago.

"This isn't working!" Said Azion. He looked at Pyreon again. "We need to get Pyreon back!"

"Pyreon! Slight! Combine!" Said Tom. Pyreon and Slight combined into Corenago.

"Oh great!" Said Dragonomon.

"BakuDigitize!" Said Cindy. Crocolomon and Magnatron combined into Magnalomon.

"I have an idea." Said Cassie. "But it's risky."

"Lay it on us!" Said Dan. "We're getting hammered down over here!"

"Scalding Wave!" Called Tom. Corenago fired at the Brawlers. The Bakugan got hit by the boiling water, but some went past them and hit the Reality. More ripples went out.

"Time for me to do my part." Said the Destruction. The darkness rose behind him and went towards the Reality.

"Oh no you don't!" Said Runo, recovering from the ripples. "Ability Activate!"

"Hyper Velocity Fang!" Said Tigrerra. She swiped at the darkness, but her claws vanished when she touched it.

"Sorry, but only the true powers of light can stop my attacks!" Said the Destruction. The darkness began to touch the Reality, sending out constant ripples. The Brawlers and their Bakugan were rendered incapacitated.

* * *

The ripples shook through the Infinity Matrix again, hitting Atom and Leonidas. Leonidas groaned in pain. "Seems like the battle isn't going that well." He said. "Come on Atom ,wake up!" Another ripple came through, and Atom's Energy Twist Triangle started to glow. The dark symbol was glowing brightest. "What's going on?"

"Darkness is taking over." Said Forlia. "The Destruction is gaining power as it destroys Bakugan." Another ripple came through, and Atom's Attribute Wheel glowed brighter. The Haos symbol glowed brightest. His eyes twitched, then opened. He grimaced.

"Man, what is going on?" He sat up and looked around. "Where am I? The last thing I remember is seeing the Neo Battle Brawlers outside of their Reality."

"You're in the medical wing of the Infinity Matrix." Said Forlia. "You've been knocked out for a while."

"Knocked out?" Asked Atom. Another ripple went through, making him cringe. "What's going on?"

"The Destruction is attacking Bakugan." Said Forlia. "And everybody else is fighting against it. But they're losing. That's why you're feeling pain. The ripples from its damage resonates with those who are tied closest to it." Atom gasped.

"I've got to get out there!" He stood up, but got hit by another ripple.

"You need a few more minutes." Said Forlia. "But trust me, you'll get out there."

"I don't care what it takes." Said Atom. "I've got to get out there now! Otherwise I may not get another chance." Forlia nodded.

"Very well. Open your mouth."

"What for?" Asked Atom as he opened it.

"I'll give you something to reduce the effects of the ripples on you. But it won't taste good."

"Give it to me." Said Atom. Forlia grabbed a small pill and popped it in Atom's mouth. As soon as it touched his tongue, he almost puked. "Keep it in!" Forlia dumped some water into his mouth and he swallowed.

"What the heck was that?"

"It was a special pill that is comprised of several different advanced compounds, most of which are unpronounceable by both you and me. It'll give you a temporary shielding from the Realital Ripples, but it won't last forever. You need to go, now!"

"On it." Said Atom. He grabbed Leonidas and dashed out the door.

* * *

Darkness began to seep into the Reality, tearing it apart. The Commander could only watch. "This is terrible."

"I know." Said Syark. He grabbed the data from the Reality, seeing that its destruction was already at 25%. "We've got maybe five minutes before it's destroyed."

"Then I guess I better get started quickly." The Commander and Syark looked at Atom, who had just walked in. "I need to get out there! Now!"

"Well," started Syark, "Energy levels are back up to 10%, and sensors are coming back online. But we've only got reserve power going everywhere else. We can't transport you over there."

"Then open a hatch." Said Atom.

"It'll take you at least two minutes to get there, leaving less than three to stop the Destruction."

"The more we talk, the less time we have." Countered Atom.

"Fair point." Said the Commander. "Syark, open the nearest hatch."

"On it, sir." He pointed down the hallway. "The nearest one is the one where you guys first came in. You remember the way?" Atom nodded. "Then get going! You've got less than four minutes!" Atom dashed down the hallway.

* * *

Another attack touched the Reality, sending another bout of ripples out. "The more they struggle against the ripples, the more they feel them!" Said the Destruction. "This cycle is endless! This is the end for all of you!"

Dan looked up. "Come on, Drago. We can do this!" He brought his Bakumeter up.

"We have to." Said Drago. He attempted to get up, but the ripples continued to rip into him.

"Come on. We have to fight it!" Dan lifted up his Bakumeter. "Ability Activate! Dragon Thrasher!" Drago got moving, resisting the effects from the ripples.

"What the?" Asked Spectra. "How are they resisting?" Bill noticed something in Dan's Attribute Wheel.

"Wait, it seems that he has another symbol on his hand!" The Destruction took a look and a double take.

"That symbol. It can't be!" Dan's Yu-Gi-Oh symbol glowed vibrantly as he fought the effects of the ripples.

"Nothing is impossible!" He said. "All I have to do is use what I have!" The Yu-Gi-Oh symbol and his Attribute Wheel lit up at the same time. A bubble seemed to form around both him and Drago before vanishing. "And we will never"

"Give up!" Finished Drago.

"The unification of different Realities." Said the Destruction. "But when did the abilities come together?"

"If Dan can fight it," started Marucho.

"Then we can fight it!" Said Preyas.

"Of course we can!" Said Renas. They fought through the ripples, both of Marucho's symbols aglow.

"Ability Activate! Blue Stealth!"

"Now you see me, now you don't!"

"Ditto." Both Preyas and Renas vanished. Bubbles appeared around all three of them before vanishing.

"Stay back, all of you!" Said the Destruction.

"They won't get close." Said Spectra. "Ability Activate! Blind Clear!" Preyas and Renas reappeared.

"Good thing we're just the distraction." Said Preyas. Spectra looked behind him to see Drago.

"Ability Activate! Dragon Overcannon!" Drago fired at Probability Helios, defeating him.

"What?" Asked Spectra.

"Big deal." Said the Destruction. "You've got less that three minutes before you fade away, along with your Reality!"

"Come on guys!" Said Shun. "We've got to fight!" He couldn't resist the ripples. Skyress glowed, defeated, followed by Tigrerra, then Gorem, and finally Hydranoid. Their partners couldn't even look up. The Destruction laughed.

"Fools. Even though you two have escaped, your friends are still suffering!"

"Then I guess it's a good thing we're here!" Said Andrew. "Ability Activate! Arcane Supernova!" Magnatron fired at Manantron, hitting and defeating him.

"I guess it's time to bring out the big guns." Said the Destruction. Vexos Dragonomon came out of the darkness.

"I will get my freedom!" He charged at Magnatron, firing at him. Magnatron put up his shield to block the attack, but didn't see Bill behind him.

"Peekaboo." He said. He fired at Magnatron, defeating him.

"Oh no you don't!" Said Cindy.

"You won't beat us!" Said Yuri.

"We will fight to save everybody we can!" Said Hanabi.

"That is what we're here for." Said Cam.

"And what we'll stay for!" Finished Daniel. His hand flashed, and the image of a master ball appeared on it. "I choose you, Charizard!" Charizard came out.

"Your power is of no consequence." Said the Destruction. "You need the power of light to stop me, and you have less than two minutes to bring it!"

"Okay then!" Called someone. "Energy Twist! Light!" Everybody able to looked at the sound of the voice to see Atom riding on Leonidas. Leonidas changed his form. "Ability Activate! Negative's Blight!" Leonidas fired at large blast at the darkness extending from the Destruction to the Reality, severing the connection, if only momentarily. "Everybody, all together!" His Attribute Wheel glowed. "Andrew, send Magnatron back out! Use Primal Split! Dan, Marucho! Keep on them! Hanabi, Yuri, Cam, Daniel, Cindy, you guys go after Vexos Dragonomon. Neo Battle Brawlers, use Reversion and go after Bill! Azion, Cassie, you're with me on the Destruction! Move!" He and Leonidas began to glow.

"Come on people, we don't have time here! Do what he says!" Said Leonidas.

"You heard the man! Let's go Marucho!"

"Right behind ya Dan!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Andrew. "Bakugan, Stand! Descend Darkus Magnatron! Primal"

"Split!"

"Let's go!" Said Cindy.

"You know it!" Said Yuri. Everybody got onto their partners.

"Let's move!" Said Cam.

"You guys ready?" Asked Cameron.

"Let's do it." Said Jayden. He and Velocirex glowed first, followed by Akira and Radion, then Cera and Lunaris. Cameron and Blazeon began to glow, followed by Ashia and Bearth. Garfield and Aquafibian glowed last. They erupted with their respective attributes, then all twelve of them went after Bill.

"Hey! Back off!" He said. Atom and Leonidas changed into their Reversion forms as well and went up to Cassie and Azion.

"What's the plan?" Asked Cassie.

"You guys need to use Energy Twist, and quickly. Azion, I know you're still missing Pyreon, but we've got no choice here! Are you guys with me?"

"You know it!" Said Azion.

"Do you even have to ask?" Asked Cassie.

"Energy Twist! Light!" Dragonomon and Janthide attained their Light Forms while Cassie's book also changed.

"Let's go!" Atom led the charge at the Destruction.

"Fools! Don't you know that I've already won? Look at the Reality." Atom took a quick glance back and saw that the Reality was nearly completely dark. "It's hopeless!"

"Never say never." Said Cassie.

"You never know when never will become forever." Agreed Azion. Cassie's symbol glowed and a small flashlight came out of it.

* * *

"Sir, Realital Destruction has approached 90%." Said Syark.

"They're out of time." Said the Commander.

"30 seconds and counting!"

* * *

"We're almost out of time." Said Atom. "Leo, are you ready?"

"Whenever you are!"

"Reversion Ability Activate! Darkness Shiner!" Atom and Leonidas both fired beams into the darkness, weakening it.

"You think that's enough to stop me?" Asked the Destruction. More darkness flowed forward.

"Not if we get added to the mix!" Said Cassie. Her light turned on. "Ability Activate! Light Boosting!" Janthide created several lenses in front of Cassie, who shone her light through them. It increased in size, then rammed into the darkness in front of her. It waned more.

"Don't forget us!" Said Azion. "Digimodify! Time for a nice Glowing Aura!" Dragonomon summoned one of his spears and it became encased in a very bright aura. He launched it at the darkness, severing its connection. The last of the darkness that remained continued on into the Reality.

* * *

"Sir, I've got good news and bad news." Said Syark. "The good news is that the destruction stopped. The bad news is that it's less than a fraction of a percent from completion. If even a tiny bit more darkness were to hit it," he didn't have to finish. Lights flickered on, slowly regaining power. "Sir! Power levels are coming up! Controls are online, weapons are online, everything's back up and running!" Something flashed onto the screen. "And it seems that something special has been activated."

"Special how?" Asked the Commander.

 _Realital fortification in progress._ A beam came from the Infinity Matrix and struck the Reality. _Reality overloaded with darkness. Initiating recovery protocols._ The beam turned blindingly white and began to penetrate the darkness. Ripples were sent out again.

"What's it doing?" Asked Syark.

"It's healing the Reality." Said the Commander. "We have a chance now."

* * *

The Destruction noticed what was happening. "Oh no, you are not healing this Reality!" He prepared to send another burst of Darkness at the Infinity Matrix, but was stopped when Atom changed the direction of his beam to him. His distraction made the darkness stop advancing. The ripples hit the Brawlers and their Bakugan. "Even with the darkness leaving, it won't help your friends!" Runo looked up.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I don't know." Said Shun. He looked back at the battle. "But I know what we need to do!" He grabbed Skyress. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Storm Skyress Descend!"

"We're right behind ya!" Said Runo. "Bakugan, Brawl!"

"Let's go!" Said Alice. "Bakugan, Brawl!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Julie. Tigrerra, Hydranoid and Gorem stood again.

"Impossible." Said the Destruction. "Is the Reality actually empowering them?" Bill was beaten back to him.

"We've got a situation brewing!" A hole opened in hi as he dodged another attack.

"There's more where that came from!" Said Cameron. Spectra was pushed back with Vexos Dragonomon by Andrew, Cindy, Hanabi, Yuri, Daniel and Cam.

"We can't press forward!" The Destruction thought for a second.

"Spectra, Bill, take control of Cassie and Atom!"

"What?"

"Just do it!" Bill got in front of Spectra and they began charging.

"What are they doing?" Asked Atom.

"Look out!" Said Azion. Spectra and Bill fired at them. The beams hit.

"We got them!" Said Bill.

"Now that they're distracted, time for me to resume my attack!" Darkness rushed forward again, striking the Reality. Darkness again began to fill it, overtaking the Infinity Matrix's attempts to heal it. "This battle is lost!" Atom and Cassie regained their senses.

"What was that?" Asked Cassie.

"I don't know." Said Atom. He looked back to the Destruction. "But it seems to have been a distraction! Let's hit them again!"

"You got it!" Said Cassie. Spectra and Bill were stunned.

"They ignored it just like Dragonomon did." Said Bill.

"But how is that possible?" Asked Spectra.

"Does it matter?" Asked the Destruction. "Hit them again, and again! Keep them distracted!" They fired another blast, hitting Atom and Cassie again. Their minds burned as they resisted the effects of their control ray.

"Are you guys okay?" Asked Azion. Darkness still spilled into the Reality.

"I think so." Said Atom. Garfield and Aquafibian floated over.

"What's going on?"

"Spectra and Bill are trying to take over Atom and Cassie's minds."

"And while we're immune to any sort of hypnosis or mind control, it still hurts." Said Atom. He and Cassie were hit again. Ripples got sent out again, shutting down most of the Brawlers.

"We've gotta do something quick!" Called Cameron.

* * *

"I don't get it." Said Syark. "Why are we losing?"

"Because we're just totally and completely outmatched." Said the Commander. "We've lost this battle."

 _Warning, Realital Destruction at 95%._

* * *

Spectra and Bill continued firing at Atom and Cassie, but were unaware of what the draw was doing to Chaos, Tom and their Bakugan. Tom woke up first.

"What the?" He asked. "What's going on?" Chaos woke up next. He shook his head.

"I'm not sure, but something surely happened." The Bakugan woke up.

"I, I think I remember." Said Pyreon. He glared at Spectra and Bill. "It was them!" Spectra and Bill looked at the enraged shifters and Bakugan behind them.

"We've gotta put everything into the next blast!" Said Bill. "Let's go!"

"I'm with you!" Said Spectra. He and Bill began charging up.

"The Reality is doomed!" Said the Destruction. He pushed more darkness forward, shrouding the Reality. The most powerful ripples yet came as darkness overtook it.

* * *

 _Realital Detonation Imminent. All defensive measures online._ The Commander groaned.

* * *

"You are all finished!" Said the Destruction. The Reality glowed dark purple, then began to collapse on itself.

"No!" Yelled Atom. His Attribute Wheel began flickering as a familiar pain came to him. "No, it can't be!" The Reality vanished, sending massive ripples out. The Brawlers were pushed away, followed by the Neo Brawlers. Most of the Brawlers began to fade.

"What's going on?" Asked Shun. Keith looked at himself and Helios, seeing that they were transparent.

"With your home Reality gone, you're times are at an end." Said the Destruction. "So, now you know what's in store for you!" Atom and Leonidas glowed and turned back to normal. Leonidas glowed brighter.

"What's going on?" He asked. He glowed like he was defeated, but energy began flowing from him.

"Isn't it obvious?" Asked Spectra. "You're dying, just like the Reality did!"

"What?" Asked Atom. Energy continued to flow from Leonidas. Atom's Attribute Wheel began to fade, along with most of the Brawlers and their Bakugan.

"Tigrerra!"

"Runo!"

"Oh no! Gorem!"

"Julie!"

"I can't believe this." Said Alice.

"I don't think any of us can." Said Hydranoid.

"This looks like it might be the end, Shun." Said Skyress.

"Skyress!" Yelled Shun. He was still fine.

"Helios!" Yelled Keith.

 _Systems shutting down._ Helios's body began shutting down as he became more translucent.

"This can't be happening!" Said Renas.

"We have to do something!" Said Teressmon.

"There's nothing you can do!" Said Bill. "That's the best part! But wait, there's more!" Spectra sent energy through Bill towards Cassie and Atom.

"Look out!" Called Tom. Atom and Cassie looked towards them to see the energy coming at them. It struck, penetrating their minds. They burned, fighting off their controlling power. Leonidas stopped glowing.

"I'm sorry, Atom. It's been a good run, but I'm afraid I'm done." Leonidas started shrinking down, going back into ball form, but without any glowing or energy. Atom could only watch as his partner was reduced to a lifeless state, similar to his world's Bakugan. Leonidas fell to him, unmoving as his Attribute Wheel shattered. Atom caught Leonidas as Alice, Julie, Keith, Runo, Helios, Hydranoid, Gorem, Skyress and Tigrerra vanished without a trace. Then the full force of Spectra and Bill's attack hit him and Cassie. Their minds fought it back, but it was a losing battle. Instead, their minds, everything in them, hid away, leaving them empty and without a single memory to their name. Spectra and Bill stopped firing at them, certain that they had completed their task.

"This is only the beginning." Said the Destruction. He laughed. And now, to get rid of the trash!" Darkness grabbed Atom and Cassie and brought them closer. "So, little ones, how do you feel?" Atom regained his focus first.

"Huh?" He asked. He looked at the Destruction. "Who are you?" He thought for a second. "Actually, who am I?" Cassie looked around.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Perfect." Said the Destruction. "You two have no memories left whatsoever! So that means I can do this!" Two Realital Gates opened up. "You will be doomed to wander the endless Realities forever!" The darkness threw them into the portals, Atom into one and Cassie into the other. "Farewell fools, and may your remaining, pitiful lives be spent in joy before you are destroyed!" The remaining brawlers got out of their stupor.

"What, what just happened?" Asked Dan.

"I wish I knew." Said Marucho.

"Isn't it obvious?" Asked Spectra. "You've lost the Bakugan Reality."

"It is the first of five to go before Reality One is destroyed." Said Bill.

"It's only a matter of time." Said Magantron. "Soon, there will be nothing left for any of you to get power from, then I will finally be able to defeat my brother, once and for all!"

"None will take my freedom from me, even if I must destroy them all!" Said Vexos Dragonomon.

"Be warned, Shifters." Said the Destruction. "Your powers are weakened. You've lost some of your comrades, and the rest will soon fall. Once the Realities you gain power from are destroyed, you will cease to exist. As for you, Neo Battle Brawlers, you will fade in time. The Realital ripple will take a while to hit Invasion Core from here, but when it does, your time will be finished as well. Farewell. We will meet again!" Tom, Chaos, Vladitor and Corenago looked at him, then charged. A dark cage formed around them. "I see that you believe you can stop me here and now, but you cannot." The Destruction looked at them. "You may have gotten free, but your powers will soon diminish, and you will lose those you treasure most. The first to go will be the one whose partner is of that Reality, and so on and so forth. We will meet again soon." He vanished, along with Spectra, Bill, Vexos Dragonomon, Magantron and the darkness behind him. All went quiet.

* * *

The Commander looked at where Bakugan used to be. "I, I can't believe it." He said.

"One of the five is down." Said Syark. "Four remain. We must defend them!"

"And defend them, we shall." Said the Commander. "Let's get everybody back aboard so we can plan our next move."

* * *

Dan looked down, distraught. "How could this have happened? How?!"

"Dan, relax!" Said Shun. "We have to push on!"

"Push on for what?" Asked Dan. "Huh Shun? Our families, our friends, everybody is gone! We have nothing left. Nothing except us."

"But that doesn't mean we should leave everybody else to the same fate." Countered Marucho. "There's still four more Realities we have to defend! And we can do it!"

"Dan, you need to man up!" Said Andrew. "Look at yourself! You're acting the same as when you guys faced Mechtavius Destroyer while Dragonoid Destroyer was still damaged! You're acting as if you've lost before you even try. Snap out of it!"

"He took out Bakugan, which means that Digimon is probably next." Said Azion. "We have to protect it!"

"What's the use?" Asked Dan. "Without our friends, we're hopeless! You saw how easily he got rid of Atom and Cassie! And then the fact that even they were affected by Spectra and Bill, similarly to how Azion, Chaos and Tom were affected! If they couldn't resist, how could we?"

"It's not about those we have lost so far, Dan." Said Cam. "We still have a lot to fight for."

"She's right." Said Yuri. "You need to focus on the future, not the past! We can't undo what's been done, but we can stop it from happening ever again!"

"Brother, darling, you're right! We can't focus on what went wrong, we have to learn from it!" Dan groaned.

"But what can we do?" He asked. "Runo, Julie, Alice. They're gone. Keith's gone too. Mira, Baron, Ace, all of Vestal. Neathia. Gundalia. All the Bakugan. Everybody we knew. Everybody's gone." Dan collapsed to his knees and began sobbing uncontrollably. "Even mom and dad."

"Dan." Said Drago. Cindy went up to him.

"Dan, you need to stop." Said Cindy. "We can't bring them back. We just don't have that kind of power. But what we can do is stop others from same fate. Please, you need to regain your focus." She brought him into a hug and he just continued to sob over her shoulder.

"Come on Dan." Said Marucho. He joined the hug as the Infinity Matrix pulled up next to them.

"Well, are you guys ready to head off to the Digimon Reality?" Asked the Commander. Dan stopped sobbing long enough to look up.

"Let's get going." He said. "I just need to get away." Everybody present boarded the Infinity Matrix, after all the Bakugan returned to ball form and the Digimon returned to their regular forms. Everybody went to the control room.

"Look, I know you guys are distraught." Said the Commander. "But we need focus right now. If we don't make absolutely sure that we're all 100%, we will lose. Luckily, we're a long way away from there. Plenty of time for us to get prepared." The Commander looked at Dan. "Dan, if you'll stop crying for just a moment, please." Dan looked back at him. "Just because everyone you know and love is gone, doesn't mean that you give up. I'm pretty sure you've faced a situation similar, although, maybe not to this extreme. It happened just before you travelled on the Current of Time, right?" The memory resonated in Dan's head.

"Bakugan City was destroyed, and we had one chance to stop it from happening." He looked up quickly.

"And what did you do then?"

"We fought on to stop it."

"Now, you have a chance to stop it for countless more Realities. Are you willing to fight?" Dan smiled.

"You know it!" He said. "Let's get going!"

"Syark?" Asked the Commander.

"Course plotted for the remaining defensive Realities." Said Syark. Several Realities pulled up.

"Think you could check on the Realital Ripple that came from the Bakugan Reality?" Asked Cameron. "I kinda don't want to just go poof, ya know?"

"Don't worry, you still got some time." Said Syark. He pulled it up, along with a countdown timer. "It'll strike in about thirty hours. And that leaves us with a dilemma."

"What dilemma?" Asked Cam.

"We can head immediately for the Digimon Realities, or we could try to protect Invasion Core again. Your choice."

* * *

 _Bakugan is gone. Runo, Julie, Alice, Keith, gone. Their Bakugan, gone. We've lost too many to quit now! But now we're faced with a dilemma. Should we go and save Digimon first, or should we try and save Invasion Core from the Realital Ripple that will spell doom for it and the Neo Battle Brawlers? Decisions decisions._

 **Can I be the first to say worst chapter I've ever written? Please? Destroying Bakugan, killing Leonidas, making some of the Brawlers vanish with their Bakugan. I hated writing this chapter, but I knew that if I didn't write it soon I would never write it. Pull the Band-Aid off quickly, right? Anyways, how the next chapters go will depend on you guys again! Remember how there was that poll for who gets saved next back during the trials? We've got another one! Make your choice, and make it fast.**


	22. Recovery

**And now the recovery phase from losing Bakugan. I think this is one of the longest chapters I've ever written at a total of 13 pages. Anyways, enjoy!**

Friends have been lost. Realities as well. But that does not mean we will give up the fight! We will continue on to protect as many as we can, no matter where they are! But we will also fight for everybody we've lost so far!

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Everybody stared at Syark. "Is that even a question?" Asked Dan. "We need to save the last shreds of Bakugan! Without them, I don't even want to think about it."

"Yeah!" Said Ashia. "We need to save our home!"

"Are you sure?" Asked Syark. "I'm not certain about how anybody can stop a Realital Ripple."

"We'll find a way!" Said Marucho. He looked at the group. "We've got some of the brightest minds from around Realities in here! Surely we can figure something out!"

"I like his spirit." Said Ford. "What do you think, Fiddleford?"

"I say we give it one hootenanny of a try!" Said McGucket.

"Okay then." Said Syark. He looked at the Commander.

"Set course for Invasion Core."

"On it, sir." Syark set up a path and got the Matrix ready. "We're on our way. It'll take us about three hours to get there."

"How fast is that ripple going?" Asked Cameron.

"The ripple is going very fast, but as we exist outside of common laws of physics, we can exceed the speed of light."

"Uh, what's the speed of light?" Asked Cameron.

"Just ignore him." Said Akira. "He's hopeless."

"Well, we're on our way. Let's figure out what we can do to stop the ripple." Said Ford.

* * *

Atom felt nothing, nothing except falling. He looked around. "Where am I?" He asked. "Who am I?" He held his head. "I can't remember anything." He felt something in his hand. "What's this?" He looked at the object in his hand, seeing a small ball. "Why do I feel like this is important?" He put the ball into his pocket and looked around. He saw practically nothing. "But seriously, where am I?" Ahead of him a light shone, and he rushed right into it. "What the?" When the light faded, he saw many different colored lines. He looked around again. "Seriously, where am I? Where can I get some answers? Who am I? What am I? What is this place?" One Reality glowed brightly. "Is that where I can get answers? I guess I'll give it a shot." He went towards the Reality.

* * *

Cassie looked around, clutching her book tightly. She too had been deposited by a portal. "Where am I? Who am I? Why do I feel like I know something important, but can't remember it?" She held her head. "Something is very, very wrong, but I just can't remember what! Where the heck am I? Hello? Anybody there who could help me?" A Reality started to glow. "Is that where the answers to my questions are?" She went towards it.

* * *

"With Bakugan destroyed, we will have more power." Said the Destruction. "As darkness overtakes light, our power grows."

"So what is our next move?" Asked Spectra.

"We must get to Digimon as fast as possible to destroy it quickly. But there are more defensive Realities that we must destroy."

"We'll get right on it!" Said Bill.

"No." Said the Destruction. "I have another idea. We will use the Digimon that we have with us." The Destruction gestured towards Vexos Dragonomon.

"Him?" Asked Spectra.

"Yes, him." Said the Destruction. "He is a Digimon attuned to darkness and destruction. Who would be better for taking down Digimon Realities?"

"Can't argue that!" Said Bill. "So, when does he head out?"

"Soon."

* * *

Shun walked into the training room to see Dan. "Dan, we need to talk."

"Not right now, Shun." Said Dan. "I'm about to beat Spectra again!" What Dan was seeing was Drago standing against Vexos Dragonoid, after Spectra had played the Attribute changing abilities.

"Ability Activate!" Said Spectra. "Neo Legend X!" He threw the card.

"Not this time." Said Dan. "Ready Drago?"

"You know it!"

"Ability Activate! Fusion Shield!" Drago created his shield and put it in front of Vexos Dragonomon. The card tried to go through, but was stopped. "Yes! Go for it! Ability Activate! Dragon Astral!" Drago fired at Vexos Dragonomon, defeating him. Spectra vanished.

 _Training Terminated._ Dan got out of the VR system.

"What's up?" Asked Dan.

"We need to figure out what we're going to do, you know, if we actually beat the Destruction. Where will we go?"

"I dunno." Said Dan. "Probably just wander the Realities, like the Shifters. Maybe even visit their home Reality." Shun smiled. "But there's something I just can't get off my mind." Shun's smiled turned into a frown.

"What is it?"

"It's this sense of despair, like I know that my time is coming to an end." Dan looked away. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm scared of what's coming." He looked at Shun again. "You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do." Said Shun. "And I feel like I'm going to go next."

"Why's that?"

"Well, do you remember what the Destruction said? About how we would fade when the Realities that power us fade?"

"Yeah."

"Everybody else, they vanished because Bakugan went down. But we remain. You got power from Yu-Gi-Oh, when you helped Hanabi. Marucho got power from Pokémon when he helped Daniel. But me, the only thing I've got left is Teressmon. And she's a DigiBakugan. She's part Digimon and part Bakugan. And if Digimon is going next, then that means I'm the next to go." Dan thought for a second. "Dan, if I'm right, all of us could be gone soon."

"I know Shun, you don't have to say it." Said Dan. "That's why we've gotta stop the Destruction, before he destroys any more Realities!" Shun smiled again.

"Why did I ever doubt your fighting spirit?" He asked. "So, mind if I join you with training?"

"Not at all."

"Just don't slow us down." Said Drago.

"I'm more worried about you slowing us down." Replied Shun.

* * *

"So, what do we have?" Asked Ford.

"Well, I don't have any brilliant ideas." Said McGucket. "There are too many unknown variables. Realital Fabric, the nature of the ripple. I just can't work it all out!"

"Well, what if we substitute our Universal Fabric for the Realital Fabric? It's possible that they're the same."

"Yeah, but possibilities and theories can only go so far. If we get any of these calculations wrong, we'll end up boosting this ripple and possibly destroy more Realities."

"Then we better figure it out."

* * *

Azion hit a wall. "I can't believe that we just lost like that! Against that kind of power, how are we supposed to defend any of the other Realities?"

"Azion, you need to calm down." Said Tom. "If we can't keep our heads straight, we'll never stop him."

"You sound like Atom." Said Chaos. Azion sighed.

"Atom's gone." He said. "We can't hope that he'll come back at the perfect time, like last time. We just can't rely on him right now. You heard him just before he got sent away. He asked who the freaking Destruction is! He's gone."

"I suppose you're right." Said Chaos. He got up from his seat and Vladitor floated up to his shoulder. "But that doesn't mean we can wallow in our own self pity. I'm going to see if I can help out anywhere, get my mind off things." He left the room. Azion and Tom looked at each other.

"We can't focus on the past. It's the one thing we can't change, no matter how powerful we are." Said Tom.

Azion sighed. "I know." He walked to the door and Pyreon jumped onto his shoulder. "I'm going to the training room." Dragonomon followed him out. Tom sighed.

"What are we going to do?" He asked.

* * *

The Neo Battle Brawlers sat around a table. "So, if this is our last day, what do you guys want to do?" Asked Cameron.

"I still want to fight for what's right." Said Garfield. "Even if we would've vanished, we should've gone to protect Digimon. Who knows how many more will vanish before we get there?"

"He's right." Said Akira. "We should've protected others instead of ourselves."

"Whatever the case, we've chosen our path." Said Jayden. "I say we see it through to the end."

"Besides, what can we do against the Destruction?" Asked Aquafibian. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't think we can face him."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Radion. "Of course we can beat him!"

"I still don't like our odds." Said Blazeon. "I'd rather face off against the Fabregans again than do this. At least then we had a good chance."

"We've gotta play with the hand we've been dealt." Said Akira.

* * *

Marucho was wandering the halls when he came across Takato. "Hey, Takato." Takato looked at him.

"Hey Marucho." He said. "So, what's it like being one of the last of your Reality? I have a feeling the rest of us are going to find out pretty quickly." Marucho shook his head.

"Don't talk like that! We've got it bad enough already!" He thought about Takato's question. "But, to answer your question, I guess lonely. I mean, there's still Dan, and Shun. Then there's Azion, Chaos, Tom. Atom and Cassie, wherever they are." He sighed. Takato looked at him.

"Come on Marucho, cheer up. You've still got more friends around, right?" Marucho didn't look at him. "You've got me, Rika, Henry, Suzie, Ryo, Kazu, Kenta, Stan, Ford, McGucket, Mabel, Dipper, Soos, Wendy, Robbie, Pacifica, Gideon. You've got the remaining Bakugan, the Digimon. We're all in this together." Marucho looked at him. "Trust me, it can be far, far worse than it is." Marucho smiled.

"Yeah, you're right!"

* * *

Rika sat alone in a room. Renamon appeared inside of it. Rika sighed. "I don't want to talk right now, Renamon."

"I think you need to." Replied Renamon. Rika looked away from her partner. "You're scared of what might come, aren't you?" Rika didn't reply. "We all are. You don't need to hide it." Rika turned away from Renamon. "Fine. We'll talk about this later." Renamon vanished.

* * *

The rest of the tamers were exploring the Infinity Matrix. "Come on guys!" Said Kazu. "If we're going to vanish, we might as well make the most of it before we do!"

"Yeah, but could you slow down?" Asked Kenta. "We all want to know every nook and cranny of this place, but we've gotta focus on the big picture here."

"He's right, you know." Said Henry. Kazu sighed.

"Yeah, I know. But this just takes my mind off the fact, you know? I kinda don't want to stare death in the face."

"Yeah, I can understand that." Said Ryo. "Alright, let's keep exploring for a little while."

* * *

Andrew stared at Cindy, then moved his hand. He grabbed his piece on the board and moved it. Hanabi, Yuri, Daniel and Cam watched intently. Cindy looked down at the checkerboard, and moved her piece, capturing the rest of Andrew's. "Dang it!" He yelled. "How the heck are you so good at this?"

"Practice." Said Cindy as she removed his pieces.

"And I was so close, too."

"No you weren't." Said Yuri. "I got next game!"

"I'm going to go find something for us to sit down on." Said Cam. "My legs are tired." She walked off.

"Brother, dear, please don't break anything while we're gone, okay?" Hanabi followed Cam. Yuri sat down across from Cindy.

"Set 'em up! Come on, let's go!"

"My, who's the enthusiastic one to lose." Taunted Cindy. She set up the game. Daniel turned at Andrew.

"So, what do you think of the whole 'we lost a Reality' thing?" Andrew looked at him.

"You have no idea how upset I am. We lost the Bakugan Reality, the one Reality I knew best. I'm just lucky me and Magnatron didn't vanish with it."

"That's probably because we're from Reality One, right?" Asked Daniel. "I mean, that's where most of us are from, right?" Andrew stared at him.

"That, that's not a connection I had made before." He thought for a second. "I guess that makes sense." Hanabi and Cam came back.

"We found some chairs." Said Cam. She helped Hanabi set them up. Yuri and Cindy began playing, and Cindy quickly trounced him.

"Wait, what?" Asked Yuri as Cindy captured his pieces. "How did you" he shook his head. "You win. Good game!" He shook Cindy's hand.

"Okay, who's next?" Asked Cindy.

"I'll go." Said Daniel. "But I choose the game."

"Choose your arena then." A small, floating screen appeared in front of Daniel, listing several dozen games. The checkerboard vanished.

"Hm, let's see here." Daniel quickly looked through and found the game he wanted. He tapped it, and two decks of Magic the Gathering cards appeared on the table.

"Magic the Gathering?" Asked Cindy.

"It's a game I played a lot back home. I know that there's a whole Reality about it out there, somewhere, but it doesn't change the game!" He tapped his deck as he sat down, pulling up another screen. He selected his colors and his cards, then shuffled his deck. Cindy placed her hand on hers, shuffling hers. They drew their cards and Daniel went first. Andrew watched them.

"What is that game?" Asked Hanabi.

"It's called Magic the Gathering." Said Andrew. "Think of it as a more complicated version of Yu-Gi-Oh."

"More complicated?" Asked Yuri. "Impossible!"

"Really? Just watch." Yuri looked back to see both Daniel and Cindy with lots of cards on their boards. Cindy played another card, and turned some of her cards. Daniel turned some of his, and payed a card. Cindy played another, followed by Daniel. The two kept at it, until Cindy ran out of cards to turn. Daniel smiled, then discarded his cards, except his first one. Cindy did the same, but discarded all of them.

"What just happened?"

"It's called the stack." Said Andrew. "Think of it as a turn order, but on one person's turn. It goes from the top down, resolving at each step." Yuri looked at him.

"Okay, maybe it's slightly more complicated." Daniel turned some of his cards sideways, and Cindy looked up at him.

"Fine. You win." She stood up. "Good game."

"And here I thought she'd never lose." Said Cam. "I guess I'm up."

"Not so fast." Said Hanabi. "I think I would like to try this Magic the Gathering." She sat down across from Daniel.

"A new challenger approaches." He said. "Good luck." He shuffled his deck, as did Hanabi, and started playing.

* * *

Everybody from Gravity Falls, except Ford and McGucket, were sitting in a room together. Soos blew a bubble in the gum he was chewing, and popped it. "So, what's the plan dudes?"

Dipper sighed. "I don't think there is a plan yet." Mabel flopped her face onto the table.

"Why does the Destruction have to be such a butt?" She mumbled.

"I guess that's just what he's like." Said Wendy. Robbie turned away.

"I can't stand all this misery. I'm leaving." He walked out the room.

"I wish I never came out here." Said Gideon. "There's nothing except heartbreak and sorrow."

"That's the way lots of places are." Said Pacifica. "I guess I just never realized it." Stan turned around.

"What we need is a new plan." He said. "And I think I have one." Dipper straightened up.

"What if we could figure out the Destruction's biggest weakness?" He asked.

"I was about to" started Stan.

"Yeah!" Said Mabel, getting up. "That's a great idea! But how?"

"Will you guys"

"We'd need some sort of research to figure it out." Said Wendy. "Who would have that?"

"That's what I'm trying to"

"Ford wouldn't have it." Said Gideon. "He's not much more knowledgeable than we are."

"Could I have your attention for just one second?!" Yelled Stan. Everybody in the room looked at him.

"Yeah, what's up?" Asked Pacifica.

"I know of one thing here we could consult." Said Stan. "Do any of you remember the book Cassie carried when we first left the Reality?" Dipper and Mabel nodded. "That might have something."

"It might." Agreed Dipper. "But that's assuming we knew where it was. Last I knew, Cassie had it on her."

"And we have no idea where she could be." Said Mabel.

* * *

Cassie reached the Reality. "Okay, I'm here, now what?" The Reality glowed brightly and Cassie could swear she heard a voice.

" _Remember."_

Cassie looked around. "Who said that?"

" _Remember."_

"Where are you?" Cassie looked back at the Reality, only to feel herself get pushed in. "What's going on?" She felt like she was falling again, then landed on her feet. She looked around, seeing several cabins. "Where am I?" Someone walked up.

"Are you okay?" The person had gray eyes, like storm clouds. "Who are you? You just seemed to fall from the sky, and yet you're unharmed. More than that, you're in here."

"Wh-who am I?" Asked Cassie. She held her head. "That's something I wish I knew. I can't remember anything, at least, nothing except a searing pain before everything went blank." Someone else walked up.

"Hey Annabeth, who's this?" Asked the new person.

"If she doesn't know who she is, how am I supposed to know who she is?" Asked Annabeth.

"Well, where did she come from?"

"I don't know that either."

"Who are you?" Asked Cassie. Annabeth and the other guy stopped arguing.

"Me?" Asked the guy. "Well, I suppose that you should know that, if nothing else. I'm Percy." He looked at Cassie. "Now then, who are you? Surely you must remember something, right?" Cassie held her head again.

"No, nothing. I can't remember who I am." Percy and Annabeth looked at each other.

"You don't think" started Percy.

"No, I don't think the gods would do that trick again." Said Annabeth. "But it does make me wonder." She looked back at Cassie. "I think I have an idea. Follow me."

"Follow you where?"

"Somewhere where we might be able to get your memories back."

* * *

"Sir, we're approaching the Reality." Said Syark.

"Okay then." Said the Commander. "Has anybody come up with any ideas for how to stop the ripple?" He looked back at Ford and McGucket to see them still working. "I guess not."

"There are just too many variables." Said Ford. "If we get even one wrong, we won't be able to stop it." The Commander sighed.

"I wish I could say we had all the information you need, but we don't. Just as nobody truly knows what Universes are made of, we don't know what Between Realities is made of."

"You'd need someone who actually knows how to combine Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity into one single theory, who also knows anything you need to know about astrology." Said Syark. "But even the most brilliant minds across all Realities don't know that stuff. The closest people we got are actually you two."

"Thanks for that bit of pressure." Said Ford. He thought for a second. "Is there anybody here who could help us?" The Commander shook his head.

"We have nobody who researched that in their home Reality." Ford looked down, then up.

"Home Reality." He said. "Of course!"

"What'd ya think of?" Asked McGucket.

"It's a long shot, but it might just work!" Said Ford. "We're going to need the Neo Battle Brawlers, though."

"I think we can work with that." Said the Commander. "Syark?"

"On it, sir."

* * *

"So, what is this place?" Asked Atom. He looked around, then back at the Reality. "I feel like I know this place, but I just can't place it."

" _Remember."_ Atom heard the same voice Cassie did.

"Who are you?" He asked. "Where are you?"

" _Remember."_

"Remember?" Asked Atom. "Remember what?" He looked back at the Reality, and felt himself get pushed in. "What the?" He was blinded. When he could see again, he saw a large castle. He looked to the left and right, seeing massive pillars, reaching for it. In front of him was a large gate. He turned around, seeing the ruins of a town. "Where am I?" Something walked in front of him. It looked like a giant robot. It looked at him, then its eye began to glow. A point of light appeared on Atom. "What the?" The robot charged up its attack. Atom looked around quickly for a way to escape, and saw a ledge. He ran over to it, then jumped. Below him was a river, which he fell into. He got whisked away by the current and the robot didn't give chase. "What was that?" He looked at the beach not too far away, and swam towards it. He crawled onto the beach, then flipped onto his back. "Where the heck could I be that has gigantic robots firing lasers?" A horse whinnied nearby. Atom looked at the source to see two horses, with passengers. One of them got off.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Atom just looked at her blankly. "Sorry about that. Not all the guardians are clear of Ganon's control yet. We've been trying to find them, but." She shrugged.

"Ganon?" Asked Atom. "Guardians?" He held his head. "I can't remember anything."

"Oh dear." Said the girl. "This might be a small problem." She looked at the guy. "Link, can you help me get him up?" Link got off his horse and walked over to them. He and the girl reached down and got Atom back on his feet. Link looked up to the bridge Atom had jumped off of and saw the Guardian. It saw him, and took aim. He stepped away from Atom and the girl.

"What's he doing?" Asked Atom.

"Don't worry." Said the girl. "He's trained with this sort of stuff." Link grabbed the shield on his back, and held it up. The energy finished gathering and the Guardian fired. Link thrust his shield forward and out, deflecting it back at the Guardian. It got stuck in the eye, and shut down. It exploded. Link put his shield away and looked back at Atom and the girl. "I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Zelda. He's Link."

"Zelda? Link?" Asked Atom. He held his head again. "I feel like I remember something, but when I try to reach for it, I can't grasp it." Zelda looked at Link, who shrugged.

"Link, didn't you have a similar problem when you woke up?" Asked Zelda. Link nodded. "How'd you solve it?" Link pointed at the thing on Zelda's belt, and she grabbed it. She handed it to Link, who tapped it and swiped it. He showed it to Zelda. "The pictures I took?" Link nodded. Zelda looked back at Atom. "Okay, so what can you remember? Anything?" Atom thought for a moment.

"I can only remember a little bit. Coming here, almost being blasted by the robot, jumping into this river, meeting you."

"What do you mean, coming here?" Asked Zelda.

"Well, I was kinda in a place surrounded by lines, all different colors. But I heard a voice, telling me to remember." Atom sighed. "That's all I know." Link and Zelda looked at each other, then back at Atom.

"I think we need to take you somewhere. Come on." Link and Zelda began walking, followed by Atom. The horses followed.

* * *

"Okay, so I think I've figured out a way to stop the ripple." Said Ford. "It's all about using the energy from the Reality itself."

"How so?" Asked Garfield.

"The ripple is attuned for destruction of Bakugan." Explained Ford. "So if we change it to create with Bakugan instead"

"It might not do anything when it passes our home!" Finished Ashia. "Perfect!"

"Now, I will say that the plan isn't flawless." Said Ford. "Anybody who does this may face their end." The group looked at him.

"The end?" Asked Cameron. "The end of what?"

"I think he means everything." Said Akira.

"I'm afraid so." Said Ford. "The ripple is travelling at extremely high speeds. If we hit it even a millisecond too late, it'll be too late."

"Then let's just go and hit it now." Said Jayden. "It couldn't be that hard to stop it, right?"

"Wrong." Said Ford. "If we hit it too early, it'll have too much energy and we won't be able to stop it. This is a delicate process, and it needs to happen at the exact right time. If we miss that window," he didn't have to explain.

"Well, where is said window?" Asked Cera. Ford sighed.

"About five feet from the reality." He said.

"Five feet?" Asked Blazeon. "That's it?!"

"I'm afraid so." Said Ford. "That's the only time where its energy crosses the threshold between too powerful and too weak before it hits the Reality. That's why it's so critical that we get the timing right." That brought a silence to the room.

"Well, if that's all we got." Said Ashia. "Then we need to try!"

"She's right." Said Cameron. "If we don't try, then why did we choose to head back? If nothing else, it'll at least give me the impression that we tried something before we vanished."

"If you two are doing it, then I guess I should join in as well." Said Jayden. "One last hurrah, right?"

"This will be our only chance." Said Garfield. "I'm willing to take it. After all, Reality Shifters always beat the odds, right?"

"But odds like this may not be beatable." Said Ford. He sighed. "This is going to be nearly impossible. And there's only one way we could do it, that would even give us a shot." He looked at the Neo Battle Brawlers. "All six of you will have to use your most powerful abilities at the exact same time. If even one of you is the tiniest fraction of a second late, game over." He looked down. "I'll give you some time to think it over."

* * *

Annabeth led Cassie up to a cabin. "Okay, this is the place."

"What do you mean?" Asked Cassie.

"This is the Hypnos cabin. If anything can help you regain your memories, it's the people inside. Come on." She led Cassie inside.

"I'll wait out here." Said Percy. Once inside, Cassie felt very tired. She yawned.

"Why do I feel so sleepy?" She asked.

"It's just the cabin." Said Annabeth. She yawned. "It affects everybody." She walked up to one of the beds. "Clovis, wake up." She said. The person on the bed didn't move. Annabeth shook him. "Clovis, don't make try any harder."

"Five more minutes." Mumbled Clovis.

"Remember Jason?" Asked Annabeth. Clovis looked at her. "We've got something similar." Clovis sat up.

"Okay." He said, yawning. "What do you need?" Annabeth pointed at Cassie.

"She just appeared today out of nowhere, with no memory at all. It's to the point where she doesn't even remember her own name." Clovis closed his eyes, as if in thought. Annabeth and Cassie waited a bit, until Clovis started snoring. Annabeth sighed, and started snapping her fingers. Clovis woke back up. "Figure anything out?"

"Well, I suppose we could try to draw her memories out, like we did with Jason. But if her memories were taken by a god or goddess, well, it wouldn't have much of an effect."

"Uh, can I ask a question?" Asked Cassie.

"What's up?" Asked Annabeth.

"What are gods and goddesses?" Annabeth nearly fell over.

"I'll get to work." Said Clovis. "I doubt it's any god or goddess's work." He pointed to a chair. "Okay, sit down there." Cassie did as she was told. "Okay, now I'm just going to make you fall asleep. With that, I should be able to recover your memories. Understand?" Cassie nodded, and Clovis put his hand on her head. She felt very tired, and felt her eyes closing. Clovis snapped his fingers, and Cassie fell asleep. To her, a few moments passed before she woke up. She heard Clovis talking. "Well, I wasn't able to get much, but I was able to get a few things." He looked at her. "Okay, so what's your name?" Cassie thought for a second.

"My name is Cassie." She said. Clovis looked at Annabeth.

"See? Now, I wasn't able to get everything, but I think I got enough for her to remember on her own." He yawned, and Annabeth yawned as well. Cassie didn't. Annabeth looked at her.

"That's strange." She said.

"What?" Asked Cassie.

"Well, when Clovis yawns, everybody around him yawns."

"That's a problem for another day." Said Clovis. He walked back over to his bed. "I'm going back to sleep. Talk to you guys later." When his head hit his pillow, he started snoring. Annabeth looked at Cassie.

"Well, now that we know something about you, we should be able to figure out the rest. Come on, let's get out of here." Annabeth led Cassie out of the cabin. As soon as she got out, her weariness went away. Percy looked at them.

"So, how'd it go?" He asked.

"We at least managed to get her name figured out." Said Annabeth. "Her name is Cassie." Percy smiled.

"Glad to hear it." He said. He looked at Cassie. "So, do you remember anything else?" Cassie thought for a moment, then realized something. She gasped.

"My book!" She said. "Where, where is it?" Percy looked at her in confusion.

"What's so important about a book?" He asked.

"I'm not sure." Said Cassie. "But I feel like I need to have it." Annabeth looked at Percy.

"Don't look at me!" He said. "I don't know where it is." Cassie looked up and saw something.

"Uh, you might want to move." She said. Percy looked up and saw the same thing Cassie did. Then, something fell out of it, landing on him. It fell to the ground as Percy held his head.

"Ow." That was all he could mutter.

"My book!" Said Cassie. She grabbed it. Annabeth looked at her.

"She sure is strange." She thought. "But something tells me there's more to her than I can see." Cassie opened the book and Annabeth took notice of the image on its cover. "That's a symbol I don't recognize." She thought for a moment. "Maybe Carter and Sadie would know it."

* * *

Azion walked into the training room to see Dan and Shun. "What're you guys doing?" Asked Azion.

"Just doing a bit of training." Said Dan. "Ability Activate! Dragon Astral!"

"Want to join in?" Asked Shun. "There's room for at least two more."

"I suppose." Said Azion. He jumped up onto one of the stations and got set up. Dragonomon and Pyreon joined him. What they saw when they got in was Mag Mel and Razenoid. "What's the current state?"

"It's not too bad." Said Dan. "It's actually a big stalemate. Think you could tip the balance?"

"On it." Said Azion. "Ready guys?"

"Throw me in." Said Pyreon.

"I'm ready to join the fray!" Said Dragonomon. Azion smiled and grabbed Pyreon.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon! Join the fray Dragonomon!"

"You still need more help?" Asked Mag Mel. "Pitiful. Ability Activate. Flash Eclipse."

"Ability Activate!" Said Azion. "Infernium Shield!" Pyreon blocked the attack. "You'll have to try harder than that!"

"Let's go Drago!" Said Dan. "Ability Activate! Dragon Over Cannon!" Drago fired at Razenoid, striking him hard.

"Let's go Teressmon!" Said Shun. "DigiAbility Activate!" Teressmon's arms generated some flames. "Fire Welder!" Teressmon dashed in and sliced up Razenoid.

"Ready Dragonomon?" Asked Azion.

"You know it!" Azion grabbed his Digivice. He brought it to his chest.

"Biomerge, Activate!" He and Dragonomon combined. "Fusion Spear!" Fusion Dragonomon threw a spear right at Razenoid, smashing through him.

"Time to finish it!" Said Dan. "Ability Activate! Dragon Eternal Force!" Drago fired upon Razenoid, defeating him. The simulation ended, leaving all of them in a blank, white plane. Azion and Dragonomon split apart. Dan and Shun high fived as he walked up.

"Think I could talk to you guys?" Asked Azion.

"Sure." Said Dan. "One moment." He turned away. "Pause!" He yelled. The white plane rippled before settling.

 _Training Run simulation paused. Call Unpause when ready to continue._ Dan looked back at Azion.

"What's up?"

"It's about what happened, and what's going to happen."

"Aw man, not this again." Said Dan. "I already talked about it with Shun."

"What I'm going to say is probably different from what Shun talked to you about." Azion sighed. "It's actually mostly about those we have already lost. Not the friends and families, but the power we had fighting with us. With them gone, we're weakened."

"Dude, we might be weakened, but doesn't mean we should stop fighting." Said Dan. "What would Atom say if he was here, huh? He's probably say that"

"That Reality Shifters always beat the odds." Finished Azion. "I know. But his odds are far to great to beat. He has no memory, he's travelling the infinite Realities without any help, any knowledge, anything. He'd have to get astronomically lucky to even surmount any of those things." He sighed. "I just wish I knew what was going on."

"We all do." Said Dan. "But we have to trust that he'll pull through."

* * *

Atom was having a hard time keeping up with Link and Zelda. "How much further is this place?" He asked.

"Not too much further." Said Zelda. She pointed ahead. "You see that hill?" Atom nodded. "It's at the top." Atom groaned.

"Even thought I can't remember anything, I don't think I've ever done this much walking before." They continued walking. "So, where am I anyways? You never answered that question." Zelda sighed.

"You're in the land of Hyrule." She said.

"Hyrule?" Asked Atom. He closed his eyes and began thinking. Something jolted in his mind. "Hyrule." He thought. He gasped. Zelda and Link looked at him. "I just remembered something!" Link and Zelda looked at each other, then back to him.

"Well don't keep us in suspense." Said Zelda.

"I will say that I don't know how I know this, but I know that you used to be Princess Zelda, and that Link is the Goddess's chosen one to combat Ganon with the legendary blade of evil's bane, the Master Sword." Atom thought again. "But that's only part of the story. There are legends from ages past about other events such as what happened here, although with different circumstances." Zelda looked at him.

"That's quite a lot of information." She said. "It almost makes me think there's far more to you than I thought there was." She thought for a second. "We'll have to see later. Anyways, we need to get to the research lab. Purah will probably be able to help."

"Purah?" Asked Atom. "The Hateno Research Lab? That's where we're going?"

"How did you know?" Asked Zelda.

"I, I don't know." Said Atom. "Every time you say a name, something just clicks in my head. Purah is the head of the Hateno Research Lab, which was used to aid Link with stopping Ganon. She developed her own runes for the Sheikah Slate, and actually tested some of them. However, one of them deaged her to about six, where she remains today. In actuality, it's pretty amazing what she's been able to do." Atom shook his head. "How do I know this?"

"That's something I'd like to know myself." Said Zelda. "There's something about you that's different from everybody else. We know you're not Hylian, nor are you Goron, Zoran, or Gerudo. And odds are against you being Sheikah. So that does beg the question." She looked at him again as they continued to walk. "What are you?" Atom looked at her.

"That's a question I want answered too."

* * *

 _Our forces are weakened, our friends lost. We're fighting to protect the last Reality that still bears Bakugan in it, but our chances of succeeding are astronomically small. We will have less than a second to hit it, but if we hit it too early or too late, we will fail. Odds are against us, but when are they not? But no matter the result here, the destruction will continue._

* * *

 **Quite the dilemma, isn't it? How lucky will everybody get? That's for an RNG to decide! We'll see what happens. Till next time, readers!**


	23. Memorium

The ripple is approaching, and we've got one chance to stop it! We have to hit it at exactly the right time, which is going to be very difficult. But we will do it, because we will always beat the odds!

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

The beings met up again. "So, even with their newfound powers, they were unable to defeat the Destruction." Said Omnimon.

"Indeed." Said Axolotl. "And I believe we all the know the reason why."

"Regardless," said Arceus, "it's a shame with what we've lost." Arceus looked at the empty space fo the group. "Genesis has gone missing, and with him our greatest power."

"We have to help them somehow." Said a being. He lowered his hood for the first time in years, revealing himself to be Jace. "The Destruction has only gotten more powerful because of the loss. Unless something is done, all will be lost."

"But they've already unlocked all of their powers." Said another being.

"Why must you be so negative?" Asked Axolotl. "Seriously, you would've thought that millennia after being freed from the Destruction you would've learned to be hopeful, Sylate." Sylate sighed.

"Just like Clate, I can still feel its presence within me. I'm a Negative Shifter, I can never be fully cured of the Destruction. And as for why I'm so negative, you should all know why. The odds are too far stacked against them. Their allies have been defeated. One of the only Shifters we had that could combat him directly is now powerless and has no memory. Another has gone missing, even to us. What odds do you expect them to beat? Record for number of times defeated?"

"Sylate, we get it." Said Omnimon. "You have your concerns. But we also have ours. You need to look on the bright side every once in a while. What do they have that they can use? Think about that for a second. Three of them remain, including the one of Digimon. Bakugan is gone, yes, but that gives us no reason to despair. Remember, this did happen before and it was resolved before."

"And yet it has returned." Countered Sylate. "And if he discovers his new powers," Sylate shivered, "I don't even want to think about it."

"Don't worry." Said Arceus. "They have a way of pulling through. They always do."

* * *

The Neo Battle Brawlers stood in front of their home, ready for the ripple. "So, are you all clear on the plan?" Asked Ford, over the speaker.

"Just to make sure, can you run through it one more time?" Asked Cameron.

"As the ripple draws closer, we will tell you. As you guys have said, it takes about ten seconds to change into your reversion forms. Then it'll take you guys a few seconds to activate your abilities. We'll tell you when it's two minutes out and when it's a minute out. Then you have to count fifty nine seconds exactly after we tell you when its a minute out, then fire the attack. If all goes well, you'll hit it just as it crosses the boundary, and stop the destruction of your home Reality. Understood?"

"Got it." Said Akira. She looked at her teammates. "Don't mess this up."

"I'm more worried about you messing it up." Said Cera.

"Guys, can you focus please?" Asked Garfield. "This is our one shot. We can't mess it up!"

"He's right, you know." Said Aquafibian.

"Let's just stop the banter and focus, okay guys?" Asked Cameron. He took a deep breath.

* * *

Sadie's phone rang in the 21st Nome. She looked at the new recruits in front of her. "Just one moment." She said. She walked out of the room and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hey Sadie, it's me, Annabeth. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"To make a long story short, we've got someone down here at Camp Half-Blood who's lost her memory. She has a book with her that has a symbol that I've never seen before. I was wondering if you might be able to come and help us out with figuring it out." Sadie was quiet for a moment.

"Well, I have a lot of new people here who bear the blood of Pharaohs. I can't just leave them here." She thought for a second. "I'll be over in about half an hour."

"See you then." Said Annabeth. She hung up.

"What sort of symbol could she be talking about?" Wondered Sadie. "From the way she said it, it's not of Greek origin. Why does she think it would be of Egyptian origin?" She poked her head back in the room. "Okay, I've got to step out for a bit. All of you wait here until Carter comes, okay?"

* * *

Annabeth put the phone down. "Hopefully Sadie will be able to help us out." Percy entered the room.

"Okay, she's bunked in Hermes' cabin." He said. "Although, I will say that she seems older than thirteen. I wonder why she hasn't been claimed yet."

"It's probably a reason similar to Jason, Leo and Piper. To keep her safe."

"Yeah, probably." Said Percy. "But it still doesn't help me shake the feeling that something's wrong."

* * *

Cassie began flipping through her book, trying to figure something, anything out. But every page she turned to was blank. Several of the other campers in the cabin watched her. Cassie flipped to the last few pages, then closed the book. "Nothing." She said. Connor walked up to her, the first to do so.

"So, how'd you know you were a half-blood?" Asked Connor. Cassie looked at him.

"What's a half-blood?" She asked. Connor looked shocked.

"How the heck do you not know what a half-blood is when you're here?"

"Let it go, Connor." Said someone. "She has amnesia, remember?"

"Do you blame me for trying to jog her memory?" Called Connor. He looked at Cassie again. "Everybody's been a little high strung for the past week or so. Sorry about that."

"High strung about what?"

"Simple things. Increasing monster attacks, distrust, random destruction. The works."

"Wait, did you say Destruction?" Asked Cassie. Her eyes flashed a little.

"Uh, yeah, why?" Her book glowed, making both Cassie and Connor look at it. "Uh, what just happened?"

"I don't know." Said Cassie. She looked at the pages to see that one was glowing. She opened her book again and flipped to the page. It stopped glowing as it came up. "Destruction." She read. "A force born at the beginning of time that chose its path to destroy all Realities." She and Connor looked at each other.

"What's a Reality?" He asked.

"As my cousin has said, a Reality is just a story. A different set of unlimited choices." Cassie thought of something. "Wait, who's my cousin?"

"That's something you should know, not me!" Said Connor. Cassie held her head.

"So much that I can't remember. Clovis was able to help, but there's still big blanks in my memory." She sighed. "I just wish I was able to figure out what the heck is going on." Someone came up to the door.

"Mind if I come in?" Asked Annabeth. Nobody responded, so she walked in. She saw that Cassie's book was open. "What'd you find?"

"Well, it's something that jogged my memory a little." Said Cassie. She held her book up for Annabeth to see. "It's a being called the Destruction." Annabeth quickly read the page, then looked at Connor.

"You don't think"

"You know I don't!" Said Connor, giving her a grin. Annabeth glared at him.

"As I was saying," she started, "you don't think it could be the cause of the random destruction we've been seeing, right?" Connor shrugged.

"Anything could be the cause." Annabeth shook her head, then looked at Cassie again.

"Okay, we've got someone on the way that might be able to help a bit more. Come on, she should be here any minute." Cassie stood up.

"Anything to help me regain my memory." The two began to walk out.

"Good luck." Said Connor. He pulled something out of his pocket. "I might not be as much of a prankster these days, but even I won't pass up a golden opportunity." He looked at the jar of sleeping powder. "Enjoy your nap, guys!"

* * *

Annabeth and Cassie walked out of the cabin. Annabeth stepped next to her. "So, did you figure anything else out?" Cassie shook her head.

"Nothing. The only thing that happened was my book getting something on a page." Cassie sighed. "At this point, I don't have high hopes for getting the rest of my memory back." She looked down.

"Don't think like that." Said Annabeth. "The more you think like that, the more likely it is to happen." She yawned. "Why do I feel tired all of a sudden?"

"I feel fine." Said Cassie. She looked at her book and thought she saw some dust on the cover. She wiped it off a bit, and saw a small cloud of powder come off." It wafted up in front of both of them, and went right in their faces.

"Connor!" Yelled Annabeth. Cassie just blinker her eyes and sneezed.

"What was that?" She asked.

"A dumb prank by Connor." Said Annabeth. She yawned again. "Based on my reaction, it's probably sleeping powd" she didn't finish as the powder took effect on her. She slumped to the ground, asleep.

"Uh." Said Cassie. She looked around, seeing nobody. She looked down at Annabeth again and picked her up. She slung Annabeth's arm over her shoulder and lifted her. She began walking back to the cabins and saw Percy. He quickly ran over.

"What happened?" He asked.

"According to Annabeth, a prank by Connor." He sighed.

"Well, she's out for a while." He said. "We can't wake anybody he puts to sleep without the exact powder he used." Cassie looked at her book again, and saw some powder was still on it.

"You mean like this stuff?" She asked, pointing to the remaining powder on her book. Percy looked at the book, then back to her.

"I know this might sound like a dumb question, but, how come you're not asleep too? I mean, you had to have gotten dusted by it too, right?"

"I don't know and yes." Replied Cassie. "So, can we use this to wake her?"

"Yeah, just give me a moment." He lifted Annabeth onto his shoulder. "I'm going to need to borrow your book for a minute. Hand it to me slowly." Cassie slowly moved it to him and he grabbed it carefully. "I'm going to go give this to Chiron. He'll probably be able to use it to heal Annabeth of this ailment." He quickly, but carefully, ran towards the biggest cabin, at the end of all of them. Cassie looked around a bit, trying to figure out what to do until either Percy or Annabeth came back. To her left, however, she saw something that shouldn't have been there. It looked like a small pyramid.

"That's strange." She said. "That looks nothing like anything else around here." The pyramid began to glow and Cassie backed away from it. A portal appeared, and someone walked out of it. Cassie was stunned. Sadie began to look around a bit.

"Wow." She said. "I'm surprised I hit the right target this time." She looked at Cassie. "Huh, who are you? I don't recall Annabeth describing somebody who looked like you. Speaking of which, where's Annabeth?"

"Well, uh." Said Cassie. "She was hit by a prank and fell asleep. Percy brought her to see someone named Chiron."

"Let me guess, Connor?" Asked Sadie.

"Yeah."

"Figures." Sadie sighed. "Anyways, I was called her by Annabeth to try and help her with something regarding a symbol she's never seen before. Any idea where it could be?"

"I have no clue." Admitted Cassie. "But, I do know where Annabeth went. Follow me." Cassie led the way to the big cabin, Sadie following close behind. They got there quickly, and Sadie opened the door. Cassie followed her inside. What she saw shocked her yet again. She saw Annabeth and Percy, but also someone else. He looked like a normal guy from the waist up, but from the waist down he was a white stallion. "What the?" The guy muttered some sort of incantation, then placed his hand of Annabeth's head. A little light came out of his hand and encircled her head. The glowing stopped as he pulled away.

"She'll wake up in a few minutes." He said. He looked at Cassie and Sadie. He looked mildly surprised. "You're here early, Sadie."

"What?" She asked. "It seemed urgent." The guy shook his head.

"And it is, to a degree. I see you've already met the person who makes it so."

"Wait, you're telling me that she's the one who brought the symbol?" Asked Sadie, pointing at Cassie. She looked at her. "And here I thought you were just someone new."

"That's beside the point." Said the guy. "I'm certain that you're curious as to who I am. And knowing your current problem with your amnesia, you have no clue whatsoever, correct?"

"How'd you"

"He asked me a few questions while he was treating Annabeth." Said Percy.

"Oh."

"I'm guessing Percy told you he was coming to see Chiron, right? Well, I'm Chiron. Teacher of Heroes. And you are?" He held out his hand.

"Cassie." She took his hand and shook it.

"Before you ask, no, I cannot cure your amnesia."

"Darn." Annabeth's eyes fluttered a bit, then opened. She held her head as she sat up.

"This is quite the headache." She looked around and saw Sadie. "I see you're here, Sadie. Thanks for coming quickly."

"No problem. What do you need deciphered?"

"This." Annabeth grabbed Cassie's book from Percy and showed the cover to Sadie. She began studying them. "It's a set of symbols that I've never seen before. I figured you might be able to make something out of them." Sadie grabbed the book and stared at it for a minute.

"I'm going to head out for a bit." Said Percy. He walked out.

"Good luck." Said Chiron. He left as well.

"Well, the symbols mean nothing to me. But there might be a way for me to change them to something else." She put the book on a flat surface and put her hand over it. A blue symbol appeared under her hand, extending over all three symbols.

"What's she doing?" Asked Cassie.

"It's Egyptian Magic." Said Annabeth. "Don't interrupt." Sadie's symbol started flashing.

"Huh, that's strange." She said. She put a bit more concentration into it, and something in her shirt began to glow. The symbol glowed gold. "Med-wah." She said. The symbol glowed brightly before fading. Sadie entered her mind. "Thanks for the help, Isis." She said to the other being in her mind.

"Don't think it was given for no reason." Responded Isis. "The one who owns the book has more knowledge locked away than Thoth has ever learned."

"What?" Isis vanished from Sadie's mind, and she returned her focus to the real world. She removed her hand from the book to see that the symbols had changed.

"Did it work?" Asked Annabeth.

"It did, but," said Sadie, "it didn't work the way it should've. The symbols changed, but they're not all readable. I can only translate one." She showed the book to everybody else in the room. "The only symbol I can translate is this hieroglyph." She pointed to one of the symbols. "This one. Grh. It translates to night, but can also mean dark, or darkness." Annabeth and Cassie looked at the symbol Sadie pointed at.

"Well, I can read that symbol." Said Annabeth, pointing at one. "It's the ancient Greek word for light."

"But what about the third symbol?" Asked Cassie. Before either Annabeth or Sadie could answer, the book flashed. A few pages glowed.

"Any luck?" Asked Percy, poking his head in.

"Not much, yet." Said Annabeth. "We'll tell you when we figure it out." Percy left the room again. Annabeth turned back to the book to see it in Cassie's hands. She was flipping through it quickly, getting to the glowing pages. Sadie looked over her shoulder. Cassie stopped flipping pages and Sadie's face turned from interest to shock. "What's wrong?"

"I don't understand it, but these pages have lots of words that have no meaning to me on them." Cassie turned the book to Annabeth. On two of pages that glowed, there was a long list of words and what they meant. Annabeth studied them for a moment.

"Those aren't just any words." Said Sadie, getting attention from both other girls. "They're Divine Words. The most powerful form of Egyptian Magic." Cassie turned the page again, and looked at it. She read the title of the page.

"Energy Twist." She said. Her mind pulsed, and she held it.

"What's wrong?" Asked Annabeth, worried.

"My mind, it feels like something's changing." Muttered Cassie. Several things filled in. Memories of her past, who she is, who her family is, even what she is. Her Attribute Wheel burst to life on her hand, startling both Annabeth and Sadie. Cassie's ming stopped hurting as all the memories cemented themselves again in her mind. She looked around. "I, I remember."

"What?" Asked Annabeth.

"What just happened?" Asked Sadie. She looked at Annabeth. "No wonder you called me here. This is something big."

"What just happened was me regaining most of my memories." Said Cassie. "I was wiped clean because of someone trying to take control of me when I can't be controlled through mind control." Annabeth and Sadie looked at each other. "Then I was sent through the endless Realities without my memories, with only this book. And that was the greatest mistake the Destruction has ever made regarding me. He didn't take my book from me, which is, as I now know, capable of restoring my memory. And of learning new things. Energy Twist was the trigger."

"The trigger?" Asked Sadie.

"The thing that kick started my mind back to where it should be. But," Cassie took a deep breath, "my memory isn't fully restored. I can't remember how to leave a Reality to go back to help my friends."

"Leave a Reality?" Asked Annabeth.

"Your friends?" Asked Sadie.

"I'm going to have to start from the beginning, aren't I?" Asked Cassie.

"Yeah, that would be helpful." Said Annabeth.

"Okay, it all started when I got into an argument with a friend." Started Cassie.

* * *

Ford, McGucket and Syark were all monitoring the ripple. "Okay, its about two and a half minutes out." Said Ford. "Be ready to tell them." Syark got the speaker ready. "Okay guys, it's approaching." Ford checked the clock again to see that it was ten seconds until the two minute mark. "Two minutes as of" he watched the clock closely, and when it crossed the threshold for one second left, he called it out. "Now!"

"Let's go guys, into Reversion forms!" Said Cameron. All twelve began to glow in their respective Attributes, before the glow erupted from them, revealing their reversion forms.

"This will be our only chance to save our Reality." Said Akira. "We will not fail." She loaded an ability for her and Radion.

"You know we won't!"

"This is where everything we've learned comes together." Said Cameron, activating an ability.

"Let's put it to use, then." Said Blazeon.

"Whether we fail or not doesn't matter." Said Jayden, activating an ability. "At least, not to me. I'll know I did something with my life."

"Spoken like you always do." Said Velocirex. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

"We will succeed." Said Cera.

"Count on it." Said Lunaris.

"Here's the one minute mark." Said Ford. "Right, about, now!" The Neo Brawlers began counting.

"Here's hoping!" Said Ashia. "There's still so much left to do. We can't quit now!" She activated an ability.

"And the more that you do, the more everybody else does." Said Bearth. They could see the ripple, and it was approaching fast. Garfield took a deep breath.

"Well, even if we go out," he said, activating an ability, "we'll go out with a bang!"

"You said it!" Said Aquafibian. The ripple drew closer, and the Neo Brawlers passed the thirty second mark. They all prepared to use their attacks as they passed forty, and continued counting past forty five, coming to the final ten seconds at forty nine.

"This" thought Cameron

"Is" thought Akira.

"Where" thought Jayden.

"It" thought Cera.

"Will" thought Ashia.

"End." Finished Garfield. They passed the fifty eight second mark, and counted fifty nine. The ripple came up almost right next to them, and they attacked. Their attacks combined, creating a much larger attack. It hit the ripple, creating a very blinding light. Everybody shielded their eyes.

* * *

Zelda, Link and Atom walked up to the Hateno Research Lab. Zelda knocked on the door. "Purah, are you in there?" The door opened, revealing a grown man. "Hello there Symin." Said Zelda.

"Ah, Princess Zelda and Link." Said Symin. "What can we do for you today?"

"It's not actually what you can do for us, but for him." Said Zelda. She gestured to Atom.

"And who is this young man?" Asked Symin.

"That's part of the problem." Said Zelda. "He has amnesia. He can't remember anything, much less his own name." Symin thought for a moment.

"Oh, I see. No wonder you came here for help. Come in. I'll go get Purah. Since Ganon's defeat, she's been taking some time off to relax from her more, strenuous research."

"Is she really doing it again?" Asked Zelda. Symin sighed.

"If she wants to tell you, she will tell you. I'll back in a minute." He left the building, leaving the other three alone.

"So, why are we here again?" Asked Atom.

"Purah's been doing some research into other uses for the Sheikah Slate." Explained Zelda. "You see, she's been trying to develop runes for us to use to help people. The only one that's worked so far is the Lux Rune, which makes the slate emit a large amount of light. But, she's got a lot of notes to go through, so she might just have a good one for helping you." The door opened again, revealing Symin again, and a small girl.

"Okay, what's the big news?" Asked the girl. She looked quickly around the room, and narrowed her focus on Atom. "I see you've brought a guest. I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Purah, director of the Hateno Research Lab. And you are?"

"I wish I knew." Said Atom. Purah stared at him in confusion.

"What do you mean 'you wish you knew'?" She asked. "You're you! You should know what much!"

"He has amnesia." Said Zelda, for the umpteenth time. "We were hoping that your research came across something that could help him regain his memories."

"Hm, let me think." Said Purah. She closed her eyes in concentration, then snapped them open. "Snap!" She yelled. "There is something!" She rushed inside and grabbed one of her books. "Let's see here." She began flipping through the pages quickly before stopping on one. "Ah ha! Here it is!" She turned the book to everybody else. "The Shrine of Resurrection is capable of healing any ailment." She thought for a second. "I wish we knew this when Linky here woke up. Anyways, if we tune it correctly, we should be able to restore his memories." Zelda looked at Link, who nodded. She handed him the slate.

"Purah, can you tell Link how to tune it so that we can restore his memories?"

"Sure thing!" Said Purah. "If you insert the slate into the receptacle, you'll be given a few instructions and settings. Set it for a mental fix, then in the submenu, select memory. And that should do it. Then, he'll have to go into the hub for, at most, two or three hours for his memory to be restored. Got all that?" Link nodded.

"I think so." Said Atom. "But how are we supposed to" Link grabbed onto him tightly, then selected a location using the slate. Both he and Atom turned blue and began to vanish into the sky.

"Do you think he'll be upset as what Link just did?" Asked Zelda.

"Not a clue." Said Purah. The blue glow vanished.

* * *

A blue glow appeared in the Shrine of Resurrection, and it began to coagulate into Atom and Link. "get there?" Finished Atom. He looked around, then at Link. "How did we get here?" Link showed him the slate, and showed him what he did. "A little warning next time, maybe?" Link shrugged, then pointed down the tunnel. At the end was a large pod that was open. A small, tree-like creature hovered in it.

"Hey there Mr. Hero!" Said the being. "What brings you here to see this Korok?" Link motioned for it to move. "Oh, so you need to use this thing? Ok!" The Korok moved out of the way. Link placed the slate in the receptacle, and the options came up like Purah said they would. Link set the options, and the shrine activated.

"So, I need to go in there, wait, and then come out, right?" Link nodded. He then pointed to the slate and motioned picking it up. "And when I come out, grab it. Got it." Link left the room, and the door closed. Atom looked at the pod, then jumped when a voice started speaking. It spoke something Atom couldn't understand.

"Uh, can you try another language?" He asked. A beep resounded through the room.

 _Language analysis complete. Please remove upper clothing and lay down in the medical bay._

"Why do I need to remove my shirt?" Wondered Atom. A memory filled his mind about Link waking up in only his underwear while liquid drained from the pod. "Okay, makes sense." Atom removed his shirt and laid down in the pod. The lid lowered down, darkening the entire area to Atom.

* * *

The light began to die down, slowly fading. Everybody began to uncover their eyes to see what the result was. The sensors on the Infinity Matrix booted up again, and Syark began analysing the Reality. What he saw seemed promising, but wasn't the desired outcome. "I've got good news and bad news, everyone." He said as the light vanished. "The good news, the Reality won't be destroyed because of the ripple."

"So, does that mean it worked?" Asked Garfield.

"It must've!" Said Cameron.

"The bad news is that it's destabilized." Continued Syark. "There's no telling how long it'll last before it destroys itself."

"It can't ever be easy, can it?" Asked Jayden. He looked at himself to make sure that he wasn't starting to vanish, which he wasn't.

"Anyways, we did what we could here." Said Syark. "Can you deactivate your reversions and come back aboard? We need to get on our way to the Digimon Realities."

"Yeah, we can do that." Said Cameron. They deactivated their Reversion forms and went back aboard the Infinity Matrix. Syark plotted a course to the Digimon Realities and they got moving. The Commander went to his room to be alone for a few minutes. As soon as he closed the door, he took a deep breath.

"I'm glad nobody has noticed the change yet." He said. He looked at his arm, then pulled back his sleeve. On it were five symbols, each one representing one of the first five Shifters. The top one was grayed out while the other four still glowed. "My own life force has been reduced drastically. And with what's coming, I fear what may happen in the near future." He pulled his sleeve down. "I can only hope now."

* * *

Vexos Dragonomon appeared in front of a Reality, with a Negative Shifter. "Are you ready?" Asked the Shifter.

"Time to destroy!" Said Vexos Dragonomon.

"Very well." The Negative Shifter grabbed a pure black D-Power and a very dark card. "DigiModify! Destructive Boost!" Vexos Dragonomon glowed with a dark energy, and began to grow, both in size and power. He launched an attack, and with his power blasted through the Reality. Most of it vanished, erasing its history. The Destruction felt it, and began to laugh.

* * *

 _We're undermanned, underpowered, and beaten. Does that mean we'll stop trying to defeat the Destruction? No way, Jose! We're on our way to the Digimon Realities to defend them, but we'll be met with some serious opposition. So much so that the Tamers might need a Digivice upgrade, but what could they get to become more powerful to help ward off Destruction? Who knows what it'll take? And will our lost friends be able to regain their memories and get out here in time to help us? Another mystery that we cannot solve until more time passes._


	24. Revelations

**Man, is this late. Sorry about that guys. But, it's here now, right? Enjoy!**

We've tried defending a lot recently, and it hasn't been working that well. Bakugan went down, Invasion Core is destabilized, our friends are still missing, nothing seems to be working. But, despite all that, we cannot stop moving forward! There's still several Realities we can guard, and we only need to save one of them to stop the Destruction! We will do this!

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

"And that's when Spectra and Bill tried to take over me and Atom, failed, wiped our memories, and we got sent away by the Destruction." Said Cassie. Annabeth, Sadie and Percy just looked blankly at her. "As you all know, I ended up here, and got help with restoring my memories. And that's about it. Any questions?" Nobody said anything for a second.

"Well, that was a very thorough explanation." Said Annabeth. "And if everything you say is true, then you need to get back out there to help."

"But my memory still isn't fully restored." Said Cassie. "Remember what I said before I started explaining? I can't remember how to leave a Reality."

"Well, then that's a problem." Said Percy. "If you can't leave this Reality, then how are you going to help your friends?"

"I don't know." Admitted Cassie.

"Well, if you can't leave the Reality like you normally would, maybe we could try something more unorthodox." Suggested Sadie.

"What are you saying?" Asked Cassie.

"What I'm saying is that, perhaps, we could use our powers to open some sort of portal for you to leave the Reality. It'll probably be difficult, and maybe dangerous, but it should be possible. Right?"

"I don't know." Said Cassie. She absently began flipping pages in her book, and saw one that stood out. Instead of being blank like most of the other pages, it actually had writing on it. "Huh?" She began reading it. "A Gene to spare, to grant powers of pair. One must use what is at their disposal to use the strange proposal. Unite the powers of the myths to gain access to the brightest pits. The final end will astound you, so be prepared for anything that comes to you."

"A Gene to spare?" Asked Annabeth. "To grant powers of pair."

"Unite the powers of the myths to gain access to the brightest pits." Said Sadie.

"I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed," started Percy, "but I don't think that's just a rhyme."

"It's a prophecy." Said Cassie. She flipped to another page, and writing appeared on it. "Just like this one! Dragon of Flame and Darkness shall roll the die, to which all fate is cast. Unless prevented, none can defy, for it erases the past."

"Erases the past?" Asked Annabeth.

"It was a prediction that came to pass a while ago with Probability Helios." Stated Cassie. "It combined the powers of an Infinity Die, from Gravity Falls, with a Bakugan's strength, Helios. It created a being capable of destroying Realities with ease, thereby destroying the past, or erasing it. And if that one came true, then this one should too!"

"Yeah, but how?" Asked Percy. "It's not like we know what it means."

"Unite the powers of the myths." Said Cassie. "That's what we have to do. We have to combine the powers of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and possibly Norse Mythology."

"Wait, what?" Asked Annabeth.

"That sounds dangerous." Said Sadie. "Let's do it!"

"Are you crazy?" Asked Annabeth. "That kind of power may do the Destruction's work for it!"

"But what about the other parts?" Asked Percy. "A Gene to spare, to grant powers of pair."

"What genetics could do that?" Asked Sadie. "I mean, it's not like we can just copy your DNA."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound very logical." Said Cassie. She smiled. "Or, at least it wouldn't be if the G wasn't capitalized. It's not referring to just any gene, it's referring to a Realital Gene, of which I have two."

"But what are these 'powers of pair'?" Asked Percy.

"Two people with the same power." Said Cassie. "If I give someone my other gene, they should gain powers similar to mine."

"And if it fails?" Asked Percy.

"Look, do you want to try and help me save all Realities or not?" Asked Cassie. "I'm going to choose one of you, if you decide to help. I'm going to get back out there! And if this prophecy is my only way, then I'm going to take it." She looked at Percy, then Annabeth, then Sadie. "So, what's it going to be?"

* * *

"So, what's the plan here?" Asked Azion. "How are we going to fight against the Destruction at Digimon?"

"Well, there's a few options." Said Syark. "We've got two people here attuned to Digimon who have natural genes. Then, we've got a few who have the genes we gave them. If we do a well thought out plan using them, we should be able to counter the Destruction. Our first option is a frontal assault, defeating the Destruction before it gets to Digimon. Another option is to defend it from the Reality. We all saw how that worked at Bakugan."

"Didn't do diddly squat." Said Chaos.

"Our last option is both." Said Syark.

"Both?" Asked Hanabi.

"We fight the Destruction away from the Reality to weaken him, and then beat him at the Reality while he's in his weakened state."

"It might work." Said Henry. "But how would we split ourselves up?"

"Offensive on the front, defensive on the back." Said Azion. He looked at everybody. "We can't afford to fail this. We've already lost Bakugan, we can't lost Digimon too."

"He's right." Said Chaos. "If we do, their power will only grow larger."

"So, who goes where?" Asked Tom.

"You guys do know that" Syark started.

"I don't know about anybody else here, but I'm going to the front." Said Rika. "We've tried defense before, it's time to go on the offense."

"Yes, but you're not"

"Me and Terriermon will take the back." Said Henry.

"Yeah!" Said Terriermon.

"Okay, you guys are getting way ahead of yourselves." Said Syark. Everybody looked at him. "The Destruction is nowhere near being able to destroy Digimon. There are still at least a dozen protective Realities surrounding it." Those that were talking about the plan to protect Digimon suddenly felt a little idiotic. "Anyways, let's see which Realities are left for us to defend." A map pulled up of many Realities. Some were grayed out while others remained vibrant. The map zoomed in onto a specific location and several Realities stood out from the rest: the reason being that the others were grayed out. "Okay then." Said Syark. "A little further along than I thought it was." Four Realities glowed vibrantly, one between the other three.

"What do you mean?" Asked Guilmon.

"I thought there was a dozen Realities still protecting the Prime Digimon Reality, but there is apparently only a few."

"That's probably because we didn't go for it immediately." Said the Commander. "The Destruction has taken out several of the protective Realities, leaving a select few." He turned to everybody. "So, where do you guys think the Destruction will strike next?"

* * *

The hatch began to open as the liquid drained. Atom's eyes fluttered open to the blinding light. "Wh-where am I?" He asked. Memories flashed into his head, causing him to remember everything that had transpired. "Oh yeah, right." More memories flashed in his head, showing him everything that had happened from before he found himself in Hyrule, and few things his unconscious mind had thought of. His eyes shot open. "Man, this thing really works! I can remember everything, and then some!" Something dawned on him. "Wait, why can't I remember my name still?" He tapped his head, trying to get another flash of memories. "Come on, come on!" Nothing came to him. "Darn it! The last of my memories must still be suppressed by whatever control ray Spectra and Bill launched at me." He sighed. "Well, might as well go and catch up with Link." Atom stepped out of the pod and grabbed his shirt. He quickly put it on, then went to grab the Sheikah Slate. As he grabbed it, the door opened, revealing another room. He quickly ran out of the room and found himself faced with a wall. He looked up. "Oh great!" He looked at the wall again to see if there was any footholds or handholds. He was soon climbing it, and found it to be extremely easy. "Why does this seem so easy now? I remember back home that I could barely climb the rock walls." He hoisted himself up onto the ledge and walked out the door. The sun glared down brightly at him, making him rub his eyes. "And it's now very bright. Come on eyes, adjust." Slowly, but surely, Atom's eyes adjusted to the blinding light. He began looking around, and saw very few things besides trees and plants. He didn't look up. Link smiled, knowing exactly what he was going to do. He jumped off the ledge above and flew over Atom. He pulled out his paraglider and landed right in front of Atom, startling him. Atom fell backwards as Link landed. Atom slowly got back up. "What the heck?!" He yelled. "Why would you do that?" Link shrugged and smiled. "Yes, haha, very funny. So, what's the plan now?" Link pointed at the Sheikah Slate. "Okay, here you go." Atom handed the slate to Link, who began fiddling with it. He grabbed onto Atom and they vanished into the sky again. They began to rematerialize outside the lab. But, as soon as they became physical again, something was amiss. Pig-like monsters stood outside the lab, being held back by Zelda and Symin. "What the? What's going on?" Atom looked at the horizon to see a red moon.

"It's the blood moon!" Called Zelda. "While it doesn't revive the monsters anymore, it still seriously enhances them!" Link grabbed his shield and pulled out a sword. Atom instantly recognized it as the Master Sword.

"The Master Sword?" He asked. Link charged in and began fighting the monsters. Zelda and Symin backed away to let him do the fighting, clearly exhausted. Atom walked over to them. "What's going on? What are those things?"

"They're Bokoblins. They're typically harmless, but they can be vicious sometimes. Especially when they're empowered by the moon."

"You sure Link can take them?" One of them landed in front of Atom and Zelda. It got back up and resumed fighting.

"Pretty sure." Said Zelda. She looked around. "Or, at least, he can take care of those two. Not sure if he can take care of that many." Atom looked where she was looking to see a small sea of Bokoblins.

"Uh, are they supposed to come in that many numbers?"

"No." Said Zelda. "Something's wrong. They've never attacked in such numbers before!" Link killed the two he was facing, then looked where we were looking. His face dropped. He shook his head. "Symin, get Purah. We need to evacuate."

"Right away." Symin ran inside and came outside, carrying Purah.

"Put me down! Put me down!" She yelled.

"Before I do, take a look to your left." Said Symin. Purah looked, and instantly settled down.

"Go go go!" She yelled.

"Link, I think you need to use the slate!" Said Atom. "There are too many here to face alone!" Link nodded, and held the slate facing away from him. A motorcycle appeared in front of him. He then handed the slate to Zelda.

"Link, what are you doing?" Link climbed onto the bike. "Link! Stop! There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity! Don't cross it!" Link gave her a thumbs up, then began riding. "Link!" He rode down to face the hundreds of Bokoblins. Zelda looked at Symin and Purah. "Do we have anything to stop him?"

"We can't stop him now." Said Symin. "He's buying us time to evacuate Hateno." Atom looked down at the town.

"I, uh, don't think that's possible right now." Down below, Bokoblins were ravaging the town. Zelda, Symin and Purah looked as well.

"No." Said Zelda, quietly. "No, this can't be happening!"

"I didn't even know they came in such numbers." Said Purah. "Symin, what's the current population of Bokoblins in Hyrule?"

"We've never gotten an accurate count, but it's far, far fewer than this." Atom looked to both swarms of Bokoblins.

"I've got to do something." He said. "I might not yet remember everything, but I remember a few things." He reached into his pocket and grabbed the ball from before. "Leonidas may not be able to interact with anybody, but his power remains!" Atom's hands began glowing. Zelda took notice.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Something that I thought of after I got my memory back." Replied Atom. "Stand back." His hands glowed brighter as Leonidas began to rise up. "Haos Light!" Energy raced out from Leonidas and Atom, striking the Bokoblins. Lots of them disappeared. "Like I thought. You guys have been saying that there's far too many for what there actually should be. That made me think that they're probably clones. Now, to help out Link!" Atom raced to look down upon he sea of Bokoblins. Energy began flowing from him again. "Haos Light!" Energy raced down, dissolving about half of the Bokoblins. Atom was able to see a small circle where Bokoblins kept getting slaughtered. Link continued to fight down there, taking out the Bokoblins. "I've got to help him." Thought Atom. He looked back at Zelda. "Help the townspeople. I'm going down to help Link!" Atom charged down the cliff.

"Wait!" Called Zelda. Atom didn't listen, and kept on going. "He's going to get himself killed!" Atom held up Leonidas as he ran. He quickly approached the Bokoblins.

"Time to call upon past abilities!" Said Atom. Leonidas glowed. "I call upon Mythril Leonidas! Mythril Armory!" Light erupted around him. Several Bokoblins took notice of him and charged him. Blue armor appeared around him as a sword and a shield appeared in his right hand and on his left arm, respectively. He swung the sword, knocking a few Bokoblins away. A few started swinging at him, and he blocked with his shield. He swung at them with his blade, knocking them away. He started making his way towards Link.

"What's he doing?" Asked Purah.

"I, I don't know." Said Zelda. "He just charged in and now he's wearing some kind of blue armor that generated a sword and a shield.

"Let me go check something." Said Purah. She dashed inside the lab. Zelda looked down again.

"Please stay safe." She whispered. Link continued swinging the Master Sword, but knew it was running low on energy. As soon as it failed on him, he'll be swarmed. He knew that, yet continued swinging. He counted down the time he had left, then noticed something to his left. Someone else was fighting alongside him.

"You looked like you needed a hand." Said Atom. He stood back to back with Link. "And I'm also guessing the Master Sword is running low, right? I've got something you can use." Leonidas glowed again. "Dual Wield - Blade!" Another sword came from Atom's left hand. He gave it to Link, who sheathed the Master Sword. The two circled each other, continuing to fight to Bokoblins. Atom didn't notice his armor starting to glow, but Zelda did.

"Why is he glowing?" She asked. The glowing began to fade, as if showing the energy it had left. "Oh no! They're not going to make it!" The glow dimmed further.

"You know what, this is fun!" Said Atom. As he said that, he felt very tired. "What the?" He yawned. Link took a quick looked at him, then went back to fighting. Atom's armor began to fade from the top down. As it reached his arms, his sword and shield began to fade. "No! Not now! Not yet!" His armor vanished, followed by his gear. A Bokoblin swiped him across the chest, knocking him away. Link took notice, but had to continue fighting lest he fall to the same fate. Atom looked up to see a Bokoblin swinging down at him. He closed his eyes and raised his hand up to try and deflect the blow, knowing it wasn't going to work. But the blow never came. Atom opened his eyes again to see the Mythril Blade he gave Link stab through the Bokoblin. He looked around again. All the Bokoblins were gone, or on the floor dead or dying. Link let go of the blade and it vanished. He reached down to Atom and held out his hand. Atom grabbed it and was hoisted up. Link smiled, and nodded, acknowledging Atom's efforts to help him. "Well, what can I say? I couldn't just let you die, right?" They looked back up at the lab to see Zelda looking down at them. Link looked at Atom, then ran for the wall and began climbing up it. "Really?" Atom ran after Link and began climbing as well. About halfway up, Atom started getting tired. "Come on, just a bit more!" Link climbed up the rest of the way and hoisted himself up. He looked down at Atom, seeing him struggling. Zelda noticed as well.

"You don't think" Atom's grip failed him and he began skidding down the cliff. "Never mind." Atom landed on his feet, unharmed. He looked around. "If you go around, there's a path on the other side!" Called Zelda. "Remember? It's the same one we used to get up here in the first place!" Atom looked up at her, then began walking around the large hill. Zelda looked at Link. "So, what was that sword he gave you?" Link shrugged. "You don't know either, huh? Well, let's put that aside for now. How's the Master Sword doing?" Link unsheathed it again and showed it Zelda. "Seems like it's low on energy. You won't be able to use it much more." Link looked at the moon again to see that it had become an even darker red. Zelda looked at it again as well. "It's never been that dark before. What could be happening?" They both heard someone behind then panting. They turned to see Atom.

"I hate long distance running." He said. "Now, do you think you could explain to me exactly what just happened?" Zelda and Link looked at each other.

"I think we could ask you the same thing." Said Zelda.

"What do you mean?"

"What was that armor you made? And of top of that, what were those swords and shield made of? It's a material we've never seen before." Purah came out of the lab.

"I've got it!" She said. She looked in the book she was carrying. "When the world is unstable, and the moon begins to bleed, evil will arise with an evil gleam. The rare event known as the Darkening Moon is only brought about in cases where the Blood Moon cannot help the demons of the world. It makes clones of the most plentiful and makes them rage against all who are not demons." She closed the book. "So that's what we're dealing with."

"Okay." Said Zelda. "So we know what caused it. But we were questioning him on what he did."

"Oh, you mean his weapons and armor?" Asked Purah. "Well, as long as his memory is restored, he should be able to answer our questions." She looked at Atom. "So, I guess first thing's first, what's your name?" Atom sighed.

"One of the only things I still can't remember and it's the first thing you ask." He said. "I still don't know what my name is."

"What?" Asked Purah. "But it should've completely restored your memory! I don't understand!"

"Purah, not everything works exactly as it seems it should." Said Zelda. She looked at Atom. "What do you remember?"

"That depends, where do you want me to start?"

* * *

"Well, what are the three Realities that are left?" Asked Azion.

"Let's take a look." Said Syark. He brought up data from each of the remaining Realities, and put them on screen. "Looks like we've just got basic ones. One that all those who know Digimon should know of, especially those in this room. Another one is Data Squad, which the DATA Link Digivice is from. Then, last but not least, we have Fusion. The Fusion Loader that Azion has is the main thing from that Reality." Syark turned to the group. "So, where will the Destruction strike next?"

"If I had to guess, he'd probably go for the most powerful one of the group." Said Azion.

"Which one is the most powerful?" Asked Takato.

"Well, we've never used a regular Digivice." Said Dragonomon. "I'm going to guess that's the weakest one."

"So that leaves Data Squad and Fusion." Said Rika.

"We've seen you two use both Digivices." Said Ryo. "Which one is more powerful?"

"Well, the DATA Link allows for someone to go above Mega level." Said Cindy. "However, the Fusion Loader allows for someone to combine Digimon into stronger variants."

"Combine Digimon?" Asked Henry.

"Kinda like what I can do when I combine Crocolomon and Magnaliger." Said Cindy. "But instead of being limited to only two in a fusion, the Fusion Loader can combine all the Digimon in this room, and then some. It was once even used to combine all the Digimon in the Digital World to save both it and the real world." She paused for a moment. "Is this what it feels like to know a lot more about something than somebody else?"

"Oh boy." Said Andrew. "Okay, before she really gets going, which one would be stronger?"

"I would personally say that Data Squad is more powerful overall." Said Azion. "However, Fusion is far more versatile. It's a real toss up."

"Well, there is one thing we can do." Said Syark.

"No, we are not splitting up again!" Said Tom. "That did not go well last time!"

"Yeah, we're not going down that route again." Agreed Chaos.

"Fine." Said Syark. "But then you need to choose one."

"Neither." Said Clate. Everybody looked at him. "He would expect us to go and protect the strongest of the remaining Realities. So to destroy Realities quickly and easily, he'd go after the weakest one remaining. He's going after the other Reality." Clate noticed that everybody was looking at him like he was crazy. "What?" The Commander stepped forward first.

"How would you know that?" He bluntly asked.

"Just think in his shoes for a second. We're playing an immense game of chess, always trying to outmaneuver the opponent. We would try and protect the Realities that give us the most strength and he would destroy the ones that are unprotected. Cindy, you're a master of checkers, right? How good are you at chess?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm a master, but I'm pretty good. As for chess, well, I haven't played in a while, but I suppose I was pretty good when I did play."

"Think of the Realities as our pieces, and the Negative Shifters and the Destruction as his pieces. How would you, playing as him, try to get the king? Take out the strongest pieces or the weakest?"

"Well, I would personally take out the pawns to make it impossible for my opponent to rebound when I take the stronger pieces. Then, no matter how strong the other pieces are, they will fall." Hey eyes widened. "Oh."

"You guys see my point now?" Asked Clate. "With every move he's made, he's played us. Going after the True Evil Reality with Spectra and Bill made us send defenders over there, which they promptly took over while his 'main forces' went after Invasion Core to distract the rest of us. And then, he managed to trick Atom into unlocking Reversion, which put him out of commission until it was too late to save the Bakugan Reality. And then, he told us about the ripple that was heading towards Invasion Core, which made us go over there to defend it while he continued to destroy Realities. In every scenario, he was leading. Now it's our turn to take the reigns. We need to follow his strategy and outmaneuver him with it." Azion looked at him.

"Clate, are you sure about this? If you're wrong, we're losing the Digimon Reality."

"I'm positive." Said Clate. "If he's going anywhere, he's going for the weakest to trick us."

* * *

The Destruction looked at Spectra and Bill. "So, where should strike next, master?" Asked Spectra.

"I imagine that those who oppose us will believe I will go after the strongest Realities that remain for Digimon. It'll be quite the opposite, actually. Instead of destroying Digimon, we'll destroy the others first! While they're 'defending' the Digimon Realities, we'll be taking out the ones that protect Gravity Falls, Pokemon and Magic the Gathering! Those are the weakest, especially Gravity Falls. With them all defending Digimon, it'll be very, very satisfying watching them go down."

"Let's do it!" Said Bill. "I'm excited for this one!"

"Do it we shall, but we must first convince them of our plan." Said the Destruction. "That is why you two will go towards the Digimon Realities. Keep them distracted, and keep them there. They will never see this coming."

* * *

 _Well, we're here at Digimon to try and defend it. But so far, it's been very quiet. Maybe we're just here early? Who knows? At least we've had some time to discuss our battle plans, and to get ready. When the Destruction shows its face, we'll be ready for it! But what is this dark feeling I'm getting? If Clate's right, then why does it feel wrong? What could the Destruction be planning?_


	25. Unused Powers

**Buckle yourselves in for this one, because it's a dooz** **y! I hope you all enjoy! And yes, I know it's late. Trying to balance work, recreation and writing is hard!**

 _ **Edit: Reupload. It didn't save correctly last time.**_

We're on our way to defend Digimon, Atom and Cassie are still nowhere to be seen. We at least have a decent plan this time. The Destruction isn't going to win this game, not this time! But, there's something that still feels off. Why is that feeling there?

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Cassie walked with Sadie around Camp Half-Blood. "So, have you figured out who you're going to have join you?" Asked Sadie.

"I'm not sure." Said Cassie. She looked at her book. "It's just so, confusing. There's so much that I have yet to understand about my current predicament. It's just mind boggling how far back I've gone since I lost my memory. Sure, I've regained most of it, but I'm still missing key pieces." She looked at Sadie again. "So, why are we heading out here again?"

"You remember the words that appeared in your book? I think you might be able to use them in a similar way to us magicians."

"Well, I suppose it's possible. But why do I need to know if I can use them?"

"Based on what you've been facing, it'll be a huge boon for your power. Think about it. You'll be able to just say something and deal damage to the Destruction. I'm certain it'll help."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Said Cassie. She and Sadie stopped at the edge of the woods.

"Well, we're here. This is where Annabeth sent us."

"So, what? I just read one of the words on the pages and aim it somewhere?"

"Basically. Just be careful. Using too many all at once will burn you alive." Cassie held her head.

"Right." She said. "Kinda like when you and Carter banished Apophis with the Shadow Execration spell."

"Not even gonna ask how you know about that." Said Sadie. "But yes." She looked around. "Let's head in deeper. We need to find a target that isn't a tree." They walked into the woods, and soon came upon a boulder. "Well, this should work. If I remember right, this isn't something important."

"Well, let's give it a shot." Said Cassie. She turned to Sadie. "So, how do I do this?"

"Well, which one do you want to use?" Asked Sadie. "Each one is slightly different from each other." Cassie looked down her list.

"How about this one?" She pointed at Se-kebeb.

"Give it a try." Said Sadie. Cassie took aim at the boulder.

"Se-kebeb!" She called. A burst of energy left her and surrounded the boulder. Nothing seemed to happen. "I guess that didn't work."

"Don't be so sure." Said Sadie. "Try touching it."

"Okay." Said Cassie, confused. She reached out to touch the boulder, but drew her hand back quickly. "Why is it so cold?!"

"That's what the word does. It loosely translates to 'Make Cold'."

"Make cold, huh?" Asked Cassie. She looked down the page again. "I'mun!" Energy again left her, and the boulder vanished.

"Not bad." Said Sadie. "But, can you make it reappear? Try this one." She pointed at one.

"Sun-ah!" Said Cassie. The boulder came back. She looked at Sadie, then felt an immense pain flow through her body.

"Probably should've warned you about that. Divine Words draw a lot of energy." Cassie took a deep breath and felt the pain slowly vanish. "Use too much at one, and that's it."

"Yeah, I kinda got that." Said Cassie. She looked back at the boulder. "So, what now?"

"That's your choice. I know that you still need to chose someone. I guess that's what's next."

* * *

Purah, Symin, Zelda and Link listened as Atom finished up his story. "And then, the Destruction tossed us into portals, and I ended up here. Any questions?" Zelda's mouth was moving, like she was trying to speak. Purah beat her to it.

"If I didn't know any better," she started, "I would say you're one of the best story writers in all the land! But that story does put me on edge, though. It's like I know how we're going to end now, but I'm powerless to stop it." Link nodded.

"I do have a question." Managed Zelda. "How is it that you remember all of that, yet you don't remember your own name?"

"The mind can be fickle." Said Atom. "Apart from that, I don't know."

"It is definitely interesting." Said Symin. "But what now? From what you've said, you're needed out there to stop the Destruction."

"Yes, I do think I am needed out there. But, there's one minor problem. I can't leave."

"What?" Asked Purah.

"There are two reasons why. One, I don't fully remember how to leave. Two, I can't leave you guys here. There's too much trouble going on for me to leave now."

"But, what about your friends?" Asked Symin. "Surely, they need your help."

"If I leave now, I don't know what I would be able to do." Admitted Atom. "You see, Leo only has a limited amount of power. Because he's no longer alive, he can't generate it. I can use what little he has, but when it's gone, I'm a sitting duck. I won't be able to help anybody." Atom looked down and sighed. "Just by helping Link, I used up at least a quarter of his last shreds of power. What happens after those are gone? I'd be even more useless than a bug. And that's another reason I'm staying for now." He looked at Link. "I need to draw on Leo's strength to be able to help you with any sort of weaponry. You have the ability to use it when you pick it up. I don't do this often, but can you teach me what you know?" Link looked startled. "I know this might seem like a big deal, and it is, but it's the only way I can think of to actually be able to help. So, please, can you teach me?" Link looked at Zelda.

"He's asking for help. Given what he's said, we probably should." Link looked at Purah and Symin, who both nodded. He looked back at Atom, and nodded.

"Thank you." Link reached back and grabbed another sword. It was not the Master Sword, but a traveler's sword. He tossed it to Atom, who fumbled to catch it. He then grabbed the Master Sword and it's sheath and handed it to Zelda, then drew another sword. Zelda handed him the slate, and he motioned for Atom to follow him. He began walking away, and was soon followed by Atom. He grabbed on, and they vanished.

* * *

Bill and Spectra travelled towards the Digimon Realities. "So, Spectra, what do you think of this plan?" Asked Bill. "Will this work?"

"It should. It's the last thing they'd expect. We went for Digimon second before, so why not now?"

"Let's just hope that they're not smart enough to figure out the ploy. I mean, they're not, but still."

"Let's just go pick up Vexos Dragonomon, okay?" Asked Spectra. "Then the plan can unfold."

* * *

"So, how long until we get there?" Asked Rika.

"Not sure." Said Syark. "Our maps are being distorted by something. It could be anywhere from five minutes to ten hours."

"I just hope we get there quickly." Said Cameron. "Who knows how long our home will last?" Syark pulled up Invasion Core.

"Based on this, there's about eleven hours until the destabilization begins to rip it apart. Then you've got about ten minutes before it's ripped apart."

"Oh joy." Said Jayden. "About half a day left."

"At least we're helping!" Said Ashia. "It's better than nothing."

"I just hope it's enough." Said Garfield. Andrew walked in.

"What's going on guys?"

"Just figuring out how long we have left." Said Cera. "You?"

"We're trying to get everybody together to discuss our plan, and then pass some time and ease the tension by playing a few games."

"Pass." Said Rika. "No offense, but I just need to think about this for a while." She looked at Syark. "Tell me as soon as you figure out how long it's going to take to get there." She left the room. Andrew watched her go.

"What's with her?" Asked Magnatron.

"I wish I knew." Said Syark. "She's been seeming, off, lately. Like she knows something the rest of us don't."

* * *

Rika walked into her room and saw Renamon. "Let's go."

"What?"

"I agree that the Destruction will probably go after the weakest Realities. But we're assuming that he'll go after them in the same order as before. We're missing two of our own. Atom, who is of Bakugan, and Cassie, who's of Gravity Falls. Bakugan is already gone, but Gravity Falls remains. It's unprotected. Without Cassie, we don't have anybody to defend it. That's where the Destruction is going. Not Digimon." Renamon absorbed what Rika told her.

"If that's true, we'll lose more strength to defend." Renamon went into deep thought. "You may be right. But, even if you were right, we have no way of getting there."

"That's what you think." Rika and Renamon turned to the doorway to see Azion. "There is a way to get there."

"What are you doing in here, Azion?" Asked Rika. "Shouldn't you be in that meeting?"

"I figured I should see what was going on with you before the meeting." Explained Azion. "I had a feeling you were hiding something."

"How would you"

"Don't you remember? I know your entire story. I know how you act, how you react, and how you keep secrets. I knew you were hiding something based on how you were acting. So, I figured I'd come by and listed to what you had planned. And I'm glad I did." Rika was silent for a moment.

"So, now what?" Asked Renamon.

"Like I said, there is a way for you to get to Gravity Falls. The Realital Gates that have been made by the Infinity Matrix." Rika looked at him.

"But how would we use one? We don't know what number Gravity Falls is, nor do we know how to work the gates."

Azion smiled. "Based on how you said that, you know more than you're letting on. How would you know we need the Reality number?"

"Uh." Rika felt cornered.

"That's enough." Said Renamon. "Azion, what is your plan?" Azion smiled.

"How do you feel about a little bit of deception?"

* * *

Vexos Dragonomon aimed at another Reality, and fired. It went down. Spectra and Bill showed up behind it. "Vexos Dragonomon! Are you ready for your next task?" Vexos Dragonomon looked at them.

"Tell me what I must do to keep my freedom!"

"We're going after the remaining Digimon Realities." Said Spectra. "Are you ready?"

"I will keep my freedom!" Bellowed Vexos Dragonomon. "Show me the way!"

"Very well." Said Bill. "Follow us!" The three headed for the Reality.

* * *

Rika walked back into the control room. "Syark, we need to talk."

"What's up?" Asked Syark. He tapped a few more keys. "Hold on, there's something here." He zoomed in on one of the Digimon Realities. Spectra, Bill and Vexos Dragonomon were approaching it. "Looks like Clate's weakness theory was right."

"Are they really going after Digimon?" Wondered Rika. "Could I be wrong?"

"They'll be there in a little while. I'll go contact everybody else." Syark left the room. Rika looked around the room and saw nobody else. She quickly went onto the console and began trying to find Gravity Falls.

"Come on, come on. Where is it?" She continued looking, and came upon it quickly. "Reality 998760. Got it." She looked back at the door to see Azion walking in.

"Do you have it?"

"Yes." Said Rika. She looked down.

"What's wrong?" Rika looked at Azion again.

"What if I'm wrong? Syark saw Spectra, Bill and Vexos Dragonomon approaching the Reality Clate said they would go after. If I'm wrong, then the entire team will be weakened without you to defend Digimon." Azion looked at her, then smiled.

"You want to know the thing I liked best about you when it came down to the wire?"

"Huh?"

"You always trust your gut. When you saw Calumon coming up from the giant pit, you didn't hesitate to head down there to get him. You don't hesitate to send Renamon into battle because you don't worry about 'what if I'm wrong'. If you did, would the D-Reaper have been defeated? And then there's the time you and Renamon sent all your power to Ryo. Even though it was dangerous, even though it could've killed him, you believed it was the right thing to do. You always trust what you feel is right. Why should now be any different?" Rika looked at him, then sighed.

"It's number is 998760." She turned back to the console and began bringing up menus. "Where is it?" She continued looking, but heard footsteps coming from the hallway.

"Keep working." Said Azion. "They're not here yet." Rika continued her search, and found the transporter documentation. She quickly typed in the information needed, and activated it. A Realital Gate appeared next to them. "Ready?" Rika nodded. Renamon appeared in the room.

"Let's go."

"No time like the present!" Said Pyreon. Azion held up his Fusion Loader.

"Ready Dragonomon?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" He replied. They all jumped through the gate. It closed just as Syark came back in with everybody else.

"Okay, so Spectra, Bill and Vexos Dragonomon have been spotted." He sat back down and brought up the map again. "They were found approaching the Digimon Reality Clate said they would be heading after."

"Good job, Clate!" Said Dan.

"Thanks." He replied. "It's all about strategy."

"Anyways, let's get you guys over there to confront them." Said Syark. He pulled up the transporter documentation and opened a gate to the Reality. "Here's hoping!"

"You said it." Said Shun. He was the first one through.

"Time to save our home!" Said Takato. The tamers went through.

"I just hope we can." Said Ford.

"We will." Said Tom. "I have faith!"

"But where's Rika?" Asked Henry. Everybody who was remaining went through the gate.

* * *

A Gate appeared in darkness. Rika, Renamon and Azion came out of it. "No going back now." Said Azion. "Reload! Dragonomon!" Dragonomon appeared in front of them.

"That thing is amazing!" He said. "I feel completely re-energized!"

"I bet you do." Said Azion.

"So, what exactly is that?" Asked Rika.

"It's called a Fusion Loader. If you remember when Cindy explained what was in the three remaining defending Digimon Realities, Digimon Fusion uses this kind of Digivice. Also, that was a heck of a mouthful." He looked around. "So, where are we?"

"We should be right next to the Gravity Falls Reality." Rika looked around as well. "But, there's nothing here."

"Something strange is going on here." Said Azion.

"So, you were able to figure out my plan after all." Azion and Rika looked around, then saw a shadow move, obscuring a few Realities. "But, too little too late. This Reality is already being destroyed, and you two are in a nice little prison I created for you. Here, I'll even let you watch." A small portion of the darkness around them opened up, revealing the Gravity Falls Reality, slowly being taken over by darkness. "Good luck stopping me, especially when neither of you are of Gravity Falls!" The Destruction laughed as he continued destroying the Reality.

"Well, this proves you were right!" Said Azion. "But now what?" Rika grabbed her D-Power.

"Digimodify!" She called. She swiped her Aquos card. Renamon began ascending in size. "Go Renamon!" Renamon swung at the wall in front of them, and bounced off. "Okay, let's try this! DigiAbility Activate! Diamond Storm!" Renamon generated her signature attack, and launched it at the wall. The attack stuck in it, but was absorbed. "Come on!"

"Rika, this isn't working." Warned Renamon. The Aquos card deactivated, and Renamon returned to normal.

"It's entertaining watching you try to escape." Said the Destruction. "As soon as I'm done here, I'll take all of you with me to Digimon. They'll be forced to let me destroy it to save you!" Rika gasped.

"No." She said. "There has to be something we can do! Anything!" Azion looked through the window. He grabbed Pyreon.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon!" Pyreon rose. "If this doesn't work, then there's nothing we can do to escape."

"Let's hope it works, then." Said Pyreon.

"Ability Activate! Plasma Inferno!" Pyreon charged up a large scale blast of fire, then launched it at the wall. It struck, and the wall began to collapse. However, as Pyreon's attack faded, the wall reassembled itself. The Reality began to go dark. "Why is nothing working?"

"Because we're not of Gravity Falls." Said Rika. She growled. "Why was I so stupid? We should've told everybody else as well! Now we're stuck here, unable to do anything as the Reality is destroyed right in front of us!" Rika knelt down. "It's so unfair! Why can't we do anything?" She pounded the ground as her eyes began to water.

"Rika?" Asked Renamon.

"After everything we've done, after everything we've survived through, we can't even break down one wall. It's hopeless!" Azion snapped his attention to her.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me!" Said Rika, looking at him. Tears were running down her face. "It's hopeless! We can't do anything!" She looked down again.

"It's amusing watching you two turn against each other. Tick tock. What're you going to do?"

Azion looked at Rika. "Where's the Digimon Queen?" He asked. Rika looked at him. "Where's the girl who could do anything? Where's Renamon's partner? Because the person I see in front of me isn't her." He got down on one knee. "Listen, Rika. We can't give up. If we give up, we're not just betraying our friends, but also ourselves. We have to keep trying!" He reached his hand out. "Are you with me?" Rika looked at his hand, then grabbed it.

"You're right. I'm breaking down right now because I can't see a way out of this. But we can't give up. We won't give up!" Her hand flashed as she was lifted. "If I can't pick myself back up after everything, then I don't deserve to be out here!" Her hand stopped glowing, revealing a six-fingered hand. She looked at it. "No way."

"Impossible." Said the Destruction. "Where is this energy coming from? You shouldn't have the connection!" Rika stood up.

"Guess what." She said. "The impossible just became possible!" She charged the wall, and broke through it. It crumbled into nothingness. The Destruction stood in front of them. "You thought you could keep us contained? You wish you could!" Azion looked at her.

"There's the Rika I knew. Are you ready?"

"Let's go!" Rika grabbed onto her D-Power as Pyreon, Renamon and Dragonomon charged forward.

* * *

"There they are!" Said Marucho. Spectra, Bill and Vexos Dragonomon approached them.

"So, you think you're smart, coming here to defend?" Asked Spectra. He smiled. "Vexos Dragonomon, let's go." He grabbed Probability Helios. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Pyrus Darkus Probability Helios!"

"I don't think any of you are ready for this!" Said Bill.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Dan, Shun and Marucho.

"Baku-Sky raider, Jump!" Said Dan. "Rise Pyrus Fusion Dragonoid!"

"Bakugan, Stand! Said Marucho. "Rise Aquos Preyas!"

"Time to play!"

"Rise Aquos Renas!"

"No, time to defend!"

"Bakugan, Stand! Said Shun. "Rise Ventus Teressmon!"

"No more being nice!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Andrew and Cindy.

"Descend, Darkus Magnatron!"

"Rise Pyrus Magnaliger! Into Battle Crocolomon!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Tom, Chaos and Clate. "Bakugan Stand!"

"Rise Ventus Windstorm Janthide! Baku-Sky Raider, Jump! Rise Darkus Doomic Vladitor!"

"Rise Aquos Tsunami Slight!"

"Rise Subterra Reginas!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Hanabi and Yuri.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Cam.

"Rise Darkus Toxigon!"

"Rise Darkus Hungeron!"

"Rise Ventus Biagron!"

"This is gonna hurt. You that is!" Said Toxigon.

"Time to feast!"

"We'll blow you away!" Said Biagron.

"I choose you, Charizard!" Said Daniel.

"Are you ready, Guilmon?"

"How about you, Terriermon?"

"Ready and able!" Responded Guilmon.

"Do you have to ask?" Asked Terriermon.

"Go Cyberdramon!"

"Let's do it Guardromon!"

"You know it!"

"Marineangemon!"

"Yeah!" Ford readied his blaster, and handed small devices to everybody else. Stan put on his brass knuckles.

"So gullible." Said Spectra. Then he noticed something. "Hold on, where's Azion?" Bill noticed something too.

"It's not just Azion that's missing, it's Rika too!"

"Huh?" Asked Takato. He looked around. "Where are they?"

"Freedom!" Yelled Vexos Dragonomon. He charged.

* * *

The Destruction dodged Pyreon's flames, then Renamon's diamonds. Dragonomon managed a slight hit, bit it didn't do much. "Is that the best you can do?" Darkness continued to flood into the Gravity Falls Reality, darkening it even further. "It's only a matter of time before you fail."

"Well, we're not giving up!" Said Azion. He gripped his D-Power, then pressed the button. It changed into a DATA Link. "DNA Charge! Overdrive!" Dragonomon changed into Fusion Dragonomon.

"Fusion Spear!" Dragonomon threw his signature spear at the Destruction. He dodged it, then shattered it with darkness.

"Pathetic. Even at your best you cannot damage me."

"Azion, any ideas?" Asked Dragonomon. He dodged a blast of darkness, but got hit by another one. He returned to his rookie form.

"I'm getting hammered here!" Called Pyreon. He was getting struck by pellets of darkness. Before long, he began to glow, defeated. He returned to Azion.

"It appears that I have won." Said the Destruction.

"No!" Yelled Azion. He raised his hand.

"Oh no you don't!" Said the Destruction. "You forget, I'm attacking Gravity Falls! Your energy Twist is attuned for Digimon! You cannot do anything!" Azion gasped.

"No." He said. His hand dropped. A light formed behind him, and Omnimon appeared to come from it.

"Be gone!" Yelled the Destruction. He fired a blast of darkness at Omnimon, but it went through him.

"Did you really think I was dumb enough to come here physically?" Asked Omnimon. He looked at Azion. "Azion, you have attempted everything you can think of, except one thing. Use everything in your possession!" Omnimon began to fade. "Remember, nobody can do it alone." He vanished.

"Nobody can do it alone?" Asked Azion. He thought of something, then looked at his Fusion Loader. "I've barely used this thing." He raised it. "But I guess there's no time like the present!" Renamon and Dragonomon began to glow.

"Azion, what're you doing?" Asked Rika.

"Something we should've done a long time ago to confront the Destruction." Said Azion. "I've been so focused on using what I know, that I haven't considered using the one thing I don't know nearly as well."

"No, you can't possibly mean" started the Destruction.

"Dragonomon! Renamon! Digifuse!" Called Azion. Renamon lit up blue while Dragonomon lit up red. The two lights sped towards each other, colliding and merging. The light produced made it impossible to see them, but they combined. Dragonomon's head replaced Renamon's as her body made up the bulk of the combination. Dragonomon's arms merged with Renamon's, making a strange combination. Their legs did the same. Renamon's gloves appeared on their arms, as their hands shone in purple light. "We can do this now. I know it." The light began to fade, revealing the new Digimon.

"I am Mystic Dragonomon!" Called the new Digimon.

"Whoa." Said Rika.

"Now we can really do something against you!" Said Azion. "Rika has a connection to Gravity Falls, and because of that Renamon has one as well. And now that Dragonomon is combined with Renamon, he has the connection as well! Which means," he raised his arm again.

"Impossible!" Said the Destruction.

"Energy Twist! Light!" Called Azion. The light symbol didn't light up, nor did Mystic Dragonomon. "What?"

"What's wrong?" Asked Rika.

"Energy Twist, it's not working." Said Azion. The Destruction laughed.

"Fool. Did you really think that by just combining together you could defeat me?" The Destruction sent darkness at Mystic Dragonomon. "It takes more than a glimmer of hope to subdue me!"

"Azion, throw me in!" Said Pyreon. Azion quickly grabbed him.

"Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan, Stand! Rise Pyrus Pyrokinetic Pyreon!" Pyreon got in the way of the darkness.

"Even more foolish. You would sacrifice yourself for this? Worthless!" The darkness quickly approached Pyreon.

"Even if it's a sacrifice, it's one I'm willing to make! My home is gone, but others remain. No matter what, we will not fall to you!" Pyreon began to glow. Azion felt something from his Attribute Wheel. He looked at it, to see the Pyrus symbol glowing. Then, the Attributes began to light up around it, and connect to each other.

"Is this what I think it is?" Asked Azion. The darkness struck Pyreon, smothering the glow. "I guess I'm going to have to take a risk!" Light erupted from the Attribute Wheel.

"What? But that power, it should've died with the Bakugan Reality! No!"

"Surprised? Well, so am I." Said Azion. "Attributic" Light erupted from the darkness.

"Split!" Finished Pyreon. The darkness parted, revealing all six Attribute forms of Pyreon. "If you thought this battle would be easy, you were wrong. Dead wrong!"

* * *

"Ability Activate!" Said Dan. "Dragon Spur!" Drago dodged Vexos Dragonomon, then started chasing him.

"Go Probability Helios! Ability Activate! Destructive Chance!" A Ha-Di symbol appeared on Probability Helios's chest, and a large beam shot out of it. It hit Drago, defeating him. Then Probability Helios swept it across the battlefield, hitting Renas, Prayas and Biagron. Renas and Preyas returned to Marucho.

"Man, that hurt!" Screeched Biagron.

"You guys can't win! Not this time!" Said Bill. He outstretched his hand, and a plume of blue fire erupted from it. It struck Hungeron, who began to absorb the power. "Hey!"

"Nice one Hungeron!" Said Yuri. Bill increased the flow of fire, and Hungeron fell backwards, unable to absorb enough. He fell to Yuri. "No! So close!"

"We won't let you bully us with this!" Said Tom. "Ability Activate! Hydro Impact!" Slight charged Probability Helios, and rammed him, sending him back a ways, right into Bill. His stream of fire stopped. "We're here to defend, and that's what we plan to do!"

"Not all of you are here." Said Spectra.

"Don't you think we know that?" Asked Chaos. "Besides, it's not like you'll know why."

"Should we tell everybody?" Asked Tom.

"I'll do it." He looked directly at Bill and Spectra. "He and Rika figured out your plan." Bill and Spectra were shocked.

"What?" Asked Bill.

"Impossible." Said Spectra.

"Yep." Said Chaos. "Rika felt like something was off about our plan, and Clate's idea."

"Nothing against him, but he just didn't think broad enough." Agreed Tom. "And, in actuality, his idea was right. But, the truth was not the Weakest Digimon Reality, but the weakest Reality! Gravity Falls!" Spectra and Bill stood still for a few moments.

"Think we should tell them the truth now?" Thought Bill, sending it to Spectra.

"They think they have it all figured out. Let them think that for a few more seconds."

"We're right, aren't we?" Asked Chaos. He looked at Probability Helios. "Ability Activate! Demolition Hammer!" Vladitor generated his hammer, and began spinning in place. He launched it at Probability Helios.

"So gullible." Said Spectra. "Ability Activate! Darkus Reduction!" Vladitor's hammer lost speed, and hit Probability Helios very lightly.

"How do you know if either plan was right?" Asked Bill. He thought back to the Destruction's plan.

* * *

"They will believe that Gravity Falls is the weakest, due to them missing that specific Realital Defender. However, they will overlook one very crucial detail. Most of them will defend Digimon, some will defend Gravity Falls. They will go after the weakest, leaving the others wide open. Understood?"

"Of course!" Said Bill.

"Now, once they reveal to you that they 'figured out our plan', you tell them the truth of what's happening. Got it?"

"Consider it done." Said Spectra.

* * *

"You guys were so easy to fool!" Boasted Bill. "They'll go after the weakest Reality we have." He mocked. "If you thought we would be that easy to figure out, then you're even bigger fools than we thought!"

* * *

The six Pyreons surrounded the Destruction, each one charging up an attack. Mystic Dragonomon went up above. "You ready, Rika?"

"You know it!" She replied. "Digimodify!" She swiped a power card. Mystic Dragonomon charged up an attack.

"Igneo Storm!" The attack ripped into the Destruction, and began to burn him with light.

"But, that's impossible." He said. Darkness began to replace what was lost. "Looks like I'll have to show my true colors sooner than I thought. I'm expending too much energy keeping up the illusion."

"Illusion?" Asked Azion. The Destruction began chanting, and darkness began to flow into him. The Reality brightened back up, then a wall of darkness seemed to shatter, revealing the true Reality. "What the?"

"He had us tricked that entire time?" Asked Rika.

"Impossible!" Said Mystic Dragonomon. "We couldn't sense anything!"

"Darkness obscures the truth." Said the Destruction. "Good luck figuring out where I actually am! This was only an illusion! Oh yeah, and keep my friend company, will you?" He vanished. Azion, Rika, Mystic Dragonomon and the Pyreons just looked at where he was in shock.

"He couldn't have, could he?" Asked Rika. "I mean, he couldn't be that powerful, right?"

"We just got played." Said Azion. "But, where could he possibly be going?" A powerful roar resounded from around them. "Huh?" They looked around, seeing nobody. The roar resounded again, and darkness began to leave. Magantron appeared in front of them.

"You two thought you were so smart, didn't you? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm the more powerful one here!" A Negative Shifter appeared behind him, holding up a purple card.

"Are you serious right now?" Asked Azion.

"What's wrong?" Asked Rika.

"This is bad." Said Pyrus Pyreon.

"You think?" Asked Haos Pyreon. "That card is too powerful for its own good!"

"Ability Activate!" Called the Negative Shifter. "Chaos Ability X!" He threw the card, and chains began to wrap around Magantron. He began to glow.

"Prepare yourselves, because my power is growing!" The glow surrounding him became very bright, then faded. He had evolved. "This form is called Chaos Magantron. Hope you're ready!" His body had gained a dark sheen to it, like it was corrupted by darkness itself. In his chest, he had a square shaped gem.

"This is not going to be fun." Said Azion.

* * *

The Destruction opened his eyes. He stared at the Reality in front of him. "Time to destroy!" Darkness began to flood into the Reality, darkening it. "Let's see how well Azion can function when his most used Digivice is gone!" Darkness continued to flood into the Data Squad Reality.

* * *

Syark looked at his maps, and continued checking the defending Realities. But one caught his eye. "Data Squad? What the?" He zoomed in on the Reality to see that it was being corrupted at an extremely fast rate. "Oh no!" He grabbed the comms. "Sir! We're got a situation! The Destruction is going after Data Squad!"

* * *

"So, you mean to say that we were wrong both times?" Asked Clate. "But, but I thought"

"You thought wrong, okay?" Said Kazu. "We've all done it before. But we can't dwell on that right now."

"He's right." Said Henry. "Right now, we have to focus on defending this Reality!"

"Good luck with that." Said Spectra, as he held up a Forbidden Card.

"Oh boy." Said Dan. "Not good."

"Ability Activate!" Said Spectra. He threw the card. "Chaos Ability X!" Chains wrapped around Probability Helios, and he began to glow. "Prepare yourselves for my new, all powerful, Dextra Destruction Helios!" Helios emerged from the glow, completely changed. The gem in his chest was gone, and lines extended from where it was to all four of his limbs and to his head. There, five different symbols and shapes were on each part of his body. A triangle on his right hand, a Pentagon on his left hand. A square took form on his right leg, while a trapezoid took form on his left. On his head, a Hexagon appeared, and the Attribute Wheel appeared in it. "Be ready for a whole new world of pain!"

* * *

 _Our greatest enemies have tricked us once again! And now, not only is our group split, we're all facing evolved forms of our enemies! What is it going to take for us to be able to defeat them? There's no choice now, we have to defeat them once and for all! But with these new abilities they're packing, what can we do against them? Our Bakugan can't evolve to compete against them! And, to top it all off, Syark's estimates of the Invasion Core Reality were off. We're getting down to the wire here, what can we do now?_

 **What was your favorite part?**


	26. Retribution - Part 1

**Hopefully this one will upload correctly. If it seems like it only half-uploaded, tell me and I'll get it fixed. This happened with the last chapter, so if you read it and it felt like it cut off, please go back and finish reading it. Anyways, here's the next chapter of Destruction. Now, before you dive in, I need to tell you something. I've been slacking off of Gravity Falls. I'm sorry about that, but I just haven't been feeling it as much as I did with Bakugan. It's nothing against you guys, I just don't want to spend 4 hours every Sunday to write a chapter. So, I'm going to try and get a chapter done every two weeks, instead of every week. Again, sorry about the inconvenience for some of you, but like that I should be able to get more out than this once every great once in a while. Anyways, hopefully you enjoy the longest chapter I have ever written for any of my stories.**

Great. Just great. We've come this far, only to discover that both plans that were in place were wrong! The Destruction outmaneuvered us again. Why can't we figure out his plans beforehand? And now, to top it off, we've got two empowered enemies to face! Could anything else go wrong?

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

Magantron looked over himself. "Incredible. I can still feel the power rising up inside of me!" He looked at Azion, Rika, Mystic Dragonomon and the Pyreons. "This is going to be very fun." His gem glowed. "Time for my first powered up ability. Indomitable Burst!" A large blast radiated out from his dark gem, quickly heading for the Pyreons. Azion readied a card.

"Ability Activate!" He called. "Infernium Shield!" All six Pyreons created shields, but they all bucked quickly when the blast hit them. They got blasted back, enough to be out of range from another attack.

"I like this." Said Magantron. "Makes me feel invincible." He looked at the Negative Shifter. "You there! Tell me, what else can you do?"

"I can make your power continue to grow." Said the Negative Shifter.

"Perfect. Do just that." Magantron laughed. "Soon, none of you will be able to face me!" Mystic Dragonomon jumped at him quickly and hit him on his forehead.

"Guess again." Said Dragonomon. "We're stronger together!"

"You've got that right!" Said Renamon. "We'll beat you, no matter what strength you possess! Ours is stronger because we bond with others."

"Quiet, will you?" Asked Magantron. "I'm relishing this moment!" He swatted his tail at Mystic Dragonomon, sending him right at Azion and Rika, who barely got out of the way. "There's nothing any of you can do at this point in time to defeat me!"

* * *

"Even with your Realital Genes, none of you can defeat Darkness itself!" Proclaimed Spectra. "There's nothing you can do against my all powerful Destruction Helios!"

"We've heard this all before, Spectra." Said Dan. "And we've beaten you before, as well."

"But this time is far, far different from before, Dan." Said Spectra. "And I'll prove why right now! Ability Activate!" Destruction Helios took a wider stance. "Power of Darkness!" Destruction Helios began to glow pitch black, and he roared. He moved, unnoticed by everybody else.

"Where'd he go?" Asked Dan. Biagron was struck, and she returned to ball form.

"No way!" Yelled Cam. Toxigon was hit next, followed by Teressmon.

"No!" Called Shun.

"Impossible." Said Hanabi.

"Now do you understand?" Asked Spectra. "This is the power you now face!" He laughed. "And it'll only grow more powerful! As long as he is in darkness, his power will grow exponentially!" Drago was struck, sending him flying.

"Drago!" Dan looked at Spectra, who snapped his fingers. Drago got hit again, and again. "What're you trying to do?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Asked Spectra. "Reducing your numbers. And the only way to do that is to kill!" Drago kept on getting hit as Dan gasped.

"Not on my watch!" Said Andrew. "Time for us to use something special!"

"You said it!" Said Magnatron.

"Ability" Magnatron was struck before Andrew could activate his ability. "What?"

"You just don't get it, do you?" Asked Spectra. "We're not weak anymore! You will all fall before me!"

"Don't forget about me!" Said Bill. Magnatron shook his head.

"Andrew, let's try it again."

"You got it." Said Andrew. "Ability"

"Activate!" Interrupted Cindy. "Predator Jab! And to add to the mix, Form Change! Haos!" Magnaliger changed from Pyrus to Haos, which changed his attack from Fire to Light. He struck Destruction Helios, and broke the darkness around him.

"How do you like that?" He asked. Destruction Helios's response was to punch Magnaliger, sending him crashing into Magnatron.

"Ability Activate!" Yelled Spectra. "Argumentative!" Destruction Helios took aim at Magnatron and Magnaliger, then fired a red beam at them. They were encased in a sphere, and both began to glow red. Magnatron held his head, and began thrashing.

"What's happening to me?" He growled, and his eyes flashed red.

"I think," started Magnaliger before his eyes flashed red. He roared, and attacked Magnatron.

"What the?!" Asked Andrew. "Magnatron!"

"Stop Magnaliger!" Yelled Cindy. Spectra laughed.

"They're not going to stop." Said Spectra. "That bubble around them is impenetrable. And while they're inside, rage is going to build up inside of them, making them attack each other. What's better is that their power will continue to grow, making them stronger, and better able to kill each other. Additionally, the bubble prevents them from going into ball form. Any damage they take will stack up, until one of them dies!" Magnatron took a swipe at Magnaliger, claws glinting with power. They lengthened slightly as his body bulked up. Magnaliger jumped back, also bulking up. "Oh yeah, and did I forget to mention that they're undergoing effects similar to the Forbidden Cards? As their power grows, their chance for death from power overload rises as well. So, even if they don't kill each other, they'll die from too much. It's a win-win for us!" Spectra returned his focus to the Tamers. "Now, I have something very special in mind for all of you. Bill, get over here!"

"This is my favorite part of the plan!" Bill quickly got in front of Spectra, who charged up.

"Take aim." Spectra aimed at Ryo, Suzie and Kenta. "Fire!" He and Bill launched their control rays at them, quickly taking them over.

"Are you kidding me?" Asked Takato.

"And to make it better." Said Spectra. He and Bill took aim again, at Guilmon, Terriermon and MarineAngemon. All three were struck, and brought under control. "Now, it's partner against partner, friend against friend, sibling against sibling!" Henry gasped.

"No." He said. "Why?" He looked at Suzie. "Suzie, don't listen to him!" Suzie looked at him, then lunged.

"Don't tell me what to do and what not to do!" She yelled as she tackled him.

"Suzie! Stop!" Yelled Lopmon. She was struck by Terriermon.

"Guilmon, snap out of it buddy." Guilmon tackled Takato. "Stop! This isn't you!" Guilmon just growled.

"Now, I know what you may be thinking" started Guardromon, before he was struck by Kenta, followed by Ryo ground-pounding him. "Okay, I see talking isn't going to work!" MarineAngemon blew a bubble at Kazu, trapping him.

"Hey! Let me out!" Cyberdramon growled, then lunged at MarineAngemon, only for Ryo to get in the way. He growled again. Then Spectra looked at Tom, Chaos and Clate.

"So, we're down to you three. The Positive Shifters and the betrayer. Who's going to fall first?" Destruction Helios flew in front of Slight, Vladitor and Reginas.

"I think you're forgetting someone!" Called Daniel. "I choose you Charizard!" He threw the Pokeball directly at Spectra, and Charizard came out of it to ram into him. Spectra and Charizard were both flung away quite a bit, nearly entering the Reality. That gave Daniel an idea.

"I have an idea!" He yelled. "Push Spectra, Bill and Destruction Helios into the Reality! They'll be trapped!" Chaos looked at him.

"Doubtful, but it's worth a shot!" He readied an ability. "Ready Vladitor?"

"On it!"

"Ability Activate! Demolition Hammer!" Vladitor generated his signature hammer, and rushed towards Destruction Helios.

"Bad move!" Said Spectra. "Ability Activate!" He threw the card, and it glowed purple. "Absorption X Tier II!" The chains wrapped around Destruction Helios, who bulked up. As Vladitor went in to strike, Destruction Helios caught his hammer. "Unlike the original, where the Bakugan would normally have to be struck by it before absorbing the power, Absorption X Tier II allows Destruction Helios to just take any and all extra power from any opponent!" He looked at Magnatron and Magnaliger, who were still fighting. "Time to step that bubble up a notch." He grabbed another card. "Ability Activate! Redouble X!" He threw the card at the bubble, and it got wrapped. Magnatron and Magnaliger both glowed, much to the horror of their partners. The glow left them, returning them to normal size, then cycled to the bubble, and beamed back into them. They bulked up even further than before, and the cycle began again. "Redouble X can only be used on another Ability. It'll take whatever power it gave away, double it, and send it back in. Then it loops forever!" Spectra laughed. "You know what to do, Destruction Helios!"

* * *

Atom and Link appeared back at the Shrine of Resurrection, and Link walked out. Atom quickly followed. When they got outside, Link looked side to side, then walked down the path. He apparently had to remember exactly how he started. Atom again followed. "So, not to be impatient or anything, but how far away are we going?" Link smiled, then stopped. He crouched down, dragging Atom down with him. When they were both on the ground, Link pointed at something up ahead. Atom looked through the grass to see a Bokoblin. Link tapped Atom on the shoulder to get his attention, then mimicked slicing his throat. "Kill it?" Link nodded, then stood up. Atom started to follow, but Link pushed him back down. Then he rushed forward. The Bokoblin noticed him, then rushed him. Link pulled out his Traveller's Sword and a shield, and charged in. The Bokoblin swung down, but Link was ready, and thrust his shield out. The Bokoblin dropped its weapon as it struggled to keep its balance. Then, Link jumped at it, and swung the sword down, killing it. It vanished in a puff of purple smoke. Link sheathed his sword and put the shield back on his back, then looked at Atom. He gestured for him to come over. Atom got up and ran over. Link grabbed Atom by the shoulders, and aimed him towards another Bokoblin. He mimicked slicing his throat again, then tapped Atom on the chest. "Me?" Link nodded. "I can try." Atom looked at the Bokoblin again as Link crouched down. Then, he drew his sword as he walked forward, slowly. The Bokoblin looked the other way. Atom picked up his pace, but as he got close the Bokoblin turned around. It growled, then swung at him. Atom ducked, and narrowly dodged. The Bokoblin spun around before regaining its footing, then swung down at Atom. Atom put his sword up to try and block the strike, but didn't feel anything. He looked up to see that the Bokoblin was flying back after getting struck in the head by an arrow. He looked back at Link to see him putting away a bow. Link shook his head. He motioned for Atom to come back. Atom reluctantly did so. Link patted his shoulder, then sat him down. He motioned for Atom to watch. "Watch? Watch what?" Link pointed at his sword with one finger, then himself. He then pointed at Atom's sword with two, then Atom. He held up one finger, then dashed forward. He sliced at where the Bokoblin was, then sliced again. He walked back to Atom, then held up two fingers. He walked forward slowly, then faster He then ducked and held up his sword. He got back up, then walked back over to Atom. He pointed to himself again with one hand, then at Atom with the other. He held them both up. He nodded at his hand, then shook his head at Atom's. "What? You're saying I didn't do what you would do?" Link nodded. "Then what am I supposed to do?" Link pointed at Atom's sword, then grabbed his. Atom stood back up, and grabbed his sword. Link pointed away from him, and did a simple downward slash. He repeated, then pointed at Atom. "You want me to copy you?" Link nodded, then redid the simple action. "Okay." Atom gripped his sword, lifted it up, then swung down. His sword got lodged in the ground. He tried to pull it back up, only for it to flip up and land behind him as he fell onto his back. "That didn't go well." Link put his hand on his head and shook it. "Hey, it's not like you were much better when you started!" Link looked at him, then Atom grabbed his head as a vision came to him. "Oh, wait, you were." Link smiled, then crouched down. He grabbed Atom's hand, then pulled him back up. He pointed to the sword the Atom had, then turned away and repeated his downward slash. "So, just keep doing it until I get better?" Link nodded. "Okay. I'll give it a shot." Atom walked over to grab the sword, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He jumped back as a Bokoblin slashed down at him with a wooden club. It growled, then lunged at Atom again. Atom rolled to the side, and managed to grab the sword as he did so. He got up again behind the Bokoblin. Link stepped back and sheathed his sword, but prepared his bow. He looked at his quiver, and saw he was running low. He shrugged, then got ready as the Bokoblin turned around. "Okay." Thought Atom. "I can't be so timid. This thing will kill me if I'm not careful." The Bokoblin swung down again, and Atom dodged to his right. He swung his sword forward, but it wobbled as he did. He hit the Bokoblin with the flat side, dealing minimal damage. The Bokoblin retaliated by swinging at him sideways. Atom got struck and was sent to the side. He landed hard on his left shoulder, and yelled in pain. He slowly got back up to see the Bokoblin over him. Link drew back his bow, and took aim. The Bokoblin swung down, and Link launched the arrow. It struck the Bokoblin, but missed anything vital. Atom discreetly got up and went around it. The Bokoblin took it out of its side, then tossed it away. It focused on Atom again, but he was missing. It looked around, and didn't see Atom behind it. Atom took a quick breath, the swung his sword again. It wobbled, but less. The sharp side didn't hit, but it wasn't the flat side. The Bokoblin recoiled, but quickly returned the strike. Atom ducked again, and stood back up as the Bokoblin staggered. Link put down his bow. Atom swung again, and this time his sword didn't wobble. It hit the Bokoblin in the side, cutting into it. It vanished in a puff of purple smoke. Atom didn't move for a few seconds as he registered what just happened. He took a deep breath, then lowered the sword. "What just happened?" He looked down at his hands, then at the sword. "What just came over me?" He looked at Link, then sheathed his sword. Link nodded, then motioned for Atom to come over again. Atom walked over, and Link gave him a thumbs up. Then he drew his sword again, the pointed it at an angle, towards Atom. Atom looked at Link confused. "Uh, what?" Link pointed at Atom's sword, then at his. "Oh!" Atom grabbed his sword, then pointed it in the same way as Link. Link nodded, then lowered his sword. Atom did the same. "So, what was that for?" Link smiled, then backed up a few steps. He turned, and did the same downward slice as before. Atom sighed, then turned. He brought the sword up again, then sliced down, copying Link. They both brought up their swords again, and repeated the motion. They continued on.

* * *

Mystic Dragonomon slowly got back up. "Man, this guy is tough." Said Dragonomon.

"And he hasn't even used anything overly powerful yet." Said Renamon. "Rika!"

"Me?" Asked Rika. "What can I do right now? Azion's the one in control right now! I'm just here as, I don't know what kind but, some kind of backup!" Azion sighed, then looked at the battle again.

"Mystic Dragonomon! Get ready!" Azion grabbed his D-Power, and pressed the button on it. It changed into a DATA Link Digivice. "DNA Charge! Overdrive!" The digivice began to glow.

* * *

The Reality darkened even further before the Destruction. "Just a few more seconds." Darkness flowed forwards more quickly, and the Reality destabilized. It detonated, vanishing from sight. "Perfect. Now the real fun can begin!"

* * *

The light from the Digivice reached out for Mystic Dragonomon, but fell short. "Huh?" Asked Azion. "DNA Charge! Overdrive!" He slapped the top of the DATA Link, but it didn't glow. "No." Azion got shocked by his Digivice as it returned to being a D-Power. "Why?" He looked down at it, then pressed the button. Nothing. He pressed it again, and still nothing happened. "This can't be. No!" Rika looked at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"The Reality that the Destruction was going for. It was DATA Squad! Without it, I can't use the DATA Link Digivice, which means no Mega Form!" Rika looked at him, then back to the battle. Mystic Dragonomon was dodging blasts from Magantron, but she knew they couldn't avoid them them forever.

"Well, you better figure something out quickly!" Azion looked at the battle again just in time to see Mystic Dragonomon get struck.

"Pyreon!" Called Azion. The six Pyreons rushed in, avoiding blasts. "Double Ability Activate! Flash Bang plus Water Dashing!" The Pyrus, Haos and Aquos Pyreons rushed forward, ahead of the Darkus, Ventus and Subterra ones. The Pyrus and Haos ones glowed brightly, blinding Magantron. The Aquos Pyreon rushed around him, and jabbed at him.

"Keep doing that!" Said Magantron. "All you're doing is annoying me!"

"Uh," said Azion. "Ability Activate! Plasma Inferno!" Pyrus Pyreon went forward, and blasted at Magantron from point-blank range. A large smoke cloud emerged from the blast. "I think that got him." The smoke began to vanish, revealing a shield around Magantron and Pyrus Pyreon.

"Sorry, but no can do." Said Magantron. A smaller shield vanished inside the larger one. "That attack only did damage to you. So sad, too bad." Azion looked through his cards, trying to come up with something. "Forget it. You can't stop me now!" Magantron fired at Pyrus Pyreon, defeating him. The other five Pyreons vanished as the Shield did, sending Pyreon back to Azion. Azion gasped.

"It's no good! My strategies can't compensate for his massive surge in power!" Azion looked at his Digivice. "And of course, this thing is basically useless now! Without Mega, we can't do anything!"

* * *

Cassie walked back to the main part of camp, having been practicing her new abilities in the woods. She continued to think about her predicament. "On one hand, Annabeth is much smarter, and could probably outthink the Destruction. On the other hand, Sadie has lots of experience with magic, and could show me the best ways to use it against the Destruction. Why must this be so difficult?" She walked to the edge of the woods, then stopped. She turned around, ready with a Ha-Di spell, but saw nobody. "Huh. Must've been my imagination." Annabeth removed her magic cap and became visible again.

"Impressive reflexes." She complimented. "And senses. Not many people can detect me when I'm invisible." Cassie looked at her, both amazed and surprised. "So, have you figured out what you're doing yet?" Cassie sighed.

"Unfortunately, no. I haven't. It's just so daunting, the task in front of us. I just can't decide who would be better here. Your intelligence, or Sadie's magical experience. On one hand, you'd be able to outthink and outplay him within a heartbeat. On the other hand, Sadie would be able to help me the most in regards to my new abilities. Either way, one of you would be a major boon. I just can't decide who would be the greater boon." Cassie looked down. "And, what's worse, is that I know that with each passing day, each passing minute actually, my friends, my cousin, everything needs my help more and more. I feel like I have the burden of everything on my shoulders. And I can't escape." Cassie looked down further, and curled her fists. "Sometimes, I wish I had just been a normal kid. No Realital Gene, no destiny outside of where I lived. Ignorant of everything beyond my Reality. I guess what they say is true, huh? Ignorance is bliss." Annabeth shook her head, then lifted Cassie's head.

"And what sort of Bliss would you have had? Your cousin would've gone missing, and you wouldn't have known where he was. You never would've met Janthide, or helped to end a war. You never would've experienced living through the weirdness with the Pines family. I don't fully know what your life was before you started Shifting, but I'm willing to bet it wasn't anything like what you've experienced." Cassie looked away.

"And yet, I still can't figure anything out."

"And that's okay." Said Annabeth. "You don't have to know everything to do anything." That hit Cassie, as something clicked in her head.

"Don't have to know everything," she started, "to do anything." She looked at her book, then opened it. She saw blank page after blank page. "Come on, come on!" Annabeth looked over her shoulder. Cassie continued flipping through, trying to find one thing.

"What are you looking for?"

"Something I thought I remembered." Answered Cassie. She continued flipping through, but didn't find anything. "Darn it! Without all my memory, I can't find it!" She closed her book. "It's impossible. I can't do anything unless I remember everything!" She began walking away.

"Where are you going?" Asked Annabeth.

"Somewhere to sit and think." Replied Cassie.

* * *

Spectra smiled at what was going on in front of him. The Tamers were scattered, partner against partner, friends against friends, even brother against sister. He looked at Magnatron, Magnaliger, Andrew and Cindy. The Bakugan were busy trying to kill each other as both their power and hatred rose to new heights. Hanabi, Yuri and Cam were already out of the fight. Spectra again focused on the remaining four. "So, who should I target first? The loudmouth who doesn't have a Bakugan,"

"Hey!" Complained Daniel.

"Or perhaps the betrayer, who turned his back to the Destruction."

"It's more than you'll ever do." Replied Clate.

"Or maybe, just maybe, I should go after the last two defenders." Spectra held up an ability. "I've got it! All four at once! Ability Activate! Group Desolation!" Destruction Helios charged up. "This ability first makes it impossible for your partners to move." Chaos went to activate an ability.

"Ability Activate!" It glowed, then stopped.

"Then it prevents you from activating abilities." Destruction Helios finished charging up.

"Charizard! Use Flamethrower!" Charizard obliged, and sent his flames at Destruction Helios, who just shrugged it off. "Use It again!" It again did nothing.

"Are you done yet?" Asked Spectra. "Finally, Helios will unleash the power he's charged up. It'll destroy all of you!" Destruction Helios took aim.

"Time to change the outcome." Said Chaos. He grabbed his deck, and drew a card.

"You said it." Said Tom. He grabbed his Pokeball.

"Attack!" Yelled Spectra. Destruction Helios launched his attack.

"I cast Mystic Shield!" Called Chaos. The card glowed, and a transparent, purple shield appeared in front of the attack.

"I'll use a simple defense booster!" Yelled Tom. The shield thickened. Destruction Helios's attack slammed into it, and broke it instantly. "No way!"

"Impossible!" Said Chaos. The attack struck Vladitor, Reginas, Slight and Charizard. The three Bakugan glowed, defeated as Charizard fell unconscious.

"Charizard, return!" Charizard returned to his Pokeball. Spectra laughed.

"Now you get it. There's nothing you can do to stop us now!" Terriermon attacked Lopmon and Henry, forcing them back.

"This is bad!" Said Henry.

"You're telling me!" Said Lopmon. Suzie charged Henry, and knocked him over. "They're not listening to anything we're saying!" Takato dodged Guilmon, but barely.

"Come on buddy, you gotta snap out of it! Listen to me!"

"MarineAngemon! Snap out of it! Come on, I know you can do it!" MarineAngemon blew bubbles at Kazu, trapping him.

"Come on, can't we talk about this?" Asked Guardromon as both Kenta and Ryo ganged up on him. Cyberdramon growled, unable to do anything.

"Magnatron, you've got to stop!" Magnatron sliced at Magnaliger, who returned the strike. Their bodies began to pulsate.

"We're running out of time!" Said Cindy. Andrew grabbed his cards.

"I wouldn't do that." Said Spectra. "Any ability you activate while that bubble is around them is instead used by Helios." Andrew growled.

"Magnatron!" The two Bakugan just kept fighting.

* * *

Link sliced down, then to the right, then to the left. To finish it off, he spun in place, holding his sword out. Atom followed suit, slicing down, right, then left. When he spun, he lost balance and fell over. As he looked up, Link reached his hand down to help him up again. "Thanks." Atom got lifted up. "I just don't get it. I have a good handle on most of the things you're showing me, but I just can't keep my balance when trying to spin. Any idea why?" Link shook his head, then put his hand to his chin. He thought of something, and grabbed Atom's shoulder. "What's up?" The two glowed blue and teleported. They rematerialized outside of Kakariko Village. Atom looked around and saw it all, from right next to a shrine. Link tapped his shoulder and turned him around. Atom looked at him as he gestured for Atom to step inside. Atom looked at him confused, then took a step. Link pushed him in, and Atom stumbled onto a circle that bore the Sheikah symbol. He looked back at Link as it began to descend, who gave him a thumbs up. The circle continued to lower, pushing Link out of Atom's sight. He began thinking to himself as he went down. "Why would Link push me in here? Was he worried that I wouldn't go in myself?" He felt like he was reaching the bottom. He focused forward as the circle got out of the tube. Atom looked around, and saw a fairly basic room. When he looked ahead, he saw a much larger room. He walked off the circle, and heard a voice in his head.

"Greeting, young one. My name is Ta'loh Naeg. The Goddess's chosen one has brought you here so you may learn as he once did. Come forward, and learn." Atom looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. Within a minute, he gave up looking, and stepped into the larger room. He looked to his left, and to his right, and saw two chests. He walked up to one to open it, but found it was locked. It began to glow orange. Atom was hit by a sudden vision, showing him what was needed to open them.

"Well, guess I'm not opening these." He stood back up.

"I see the first problem." Said the voice again. "You've given up too easily. You will never beat this trial until you can figure it out." The voice fell silent. Atom looked back to the chest.

"Okay, so how can I open you?" He began poking and prodding at different locations, but the glow never changed. He looked at the front again, and remembered that the circle on the front twisted to open it. He got as good of a grip as he could on the circle, and began to twist. His hands slipped. "Come on grip, don't fail me now!" He grabbed on again, and tried to twist again. He didn't notice the Subterra symbol glowing slightly. His hands gripped harder, and he began to twist with more strength. "Come on, come on!" The latch suddenly turned into place, sending Atom to the side. The chest glowed blue, then opened. Atom got himself back up and looked inside it, to find a wooden shield. He grabbed it, and put it on his arm. He then looked up.

"First steps to success. Now, for the rest. Draw your blade." A platform rose in the center of the room, revealing a smaller version of the guardian the attacked Atom when he first got to Hyrule. Atom instinctively stepped back. "Draw your blade." Atom quickly grabbed the hilt, and began to pull it out. It got stuck. Atom pulled harder, trying to dislodge it.

"Come on, come on!" He fear was getting to him, causing him to make simple mistakes.

"You must control your fear. Don't let it control you." Atom continued pulling on his sword. He felt it begin to loosen, then got stuck again. He began to pull harder. "Enough!" Declared the voice. Atom stopped. "Take a deep breath, and pull calmly. Don't let fear take over." Atom let go of the hilt, and took a deep breath. He looked at the small guardian again, then grabbed the hilt. He pulled swiftly, and it came out easily. He adjusted his grip a bit. "Good. Now, focus on the Guardian Scout in front of you. When it swings, dodge it." The Guardian Scout began to move towards Atom. He felt fear rising up again, but shoved it down.

"Fear will not control me." He thought to himself. He took a few steps forward as the Guardian Scout moved towards him. Atom held his shield in front of him, and gripped his sword tightly. The Guardian Scout moved forward, and brought its sword up. Atom held his shield up to block it. It sword bounced off, but Atom felt the recoil. He backed up to give his arm a moment to recover. "That thing is strong." Atom saw it coming for him again. It raised up again, and Atom prepared to use his shield again. Atom then remembered what the voice told him. _When it swings, dodge it._ Atom lowered his shield and watched the Guardian Scout's movements carefully. When it began to swing down, he jumped to the right. Time seemed to slow down around him as the Guardian Scout missed. Atom swung his sword quickly, hitting it several times. The Scout got sent back a bit.

"Good. Now, again." The Scout recovered quickly, and came after Atom again. Atom braced himself to jump to the side again, but saw the Scout ready to swing sideways. He put his shield in front of him again to block it.

"What does he expect me to do?" Wondered Atom. "Jump over it?" The Scout swung again, and Atom again blocked it with his shield. He jumped back, trying to figure out what he needed to do. He got hit by another sudden vision, showing him Link backflipping over the blade. "Great. I can't do that!" The Scout came forward again, and prepared to swing. "Well, I guess I have nothing to lose." He prepared to jump. The Scout swung, and Atom jumped backwards. Time began to slow again as he flipped to face the floor. "How did I just do that?" He looked at the Scout. "Time to strike!" He somehow dashed forward in the air and began striking it with his sword again. It was sent back.

"Impressive. Now, for the shield. When it swings at you, knock it away." The Scout came forward again, and prepared to swing. Atom held his shield in front of him.

"Okay, I've seen Link do this before, when he faced that Guardian. I can do it." He Scout swung down, and Atom thrust his shield forward and out. He was too late, as the blade already clashed into it. The Scout prepared to swing again. "Okay, focus." He thrust forward and out again, and the blade bounced off the shield. Atom swung twice. The Scout recovered quickly.

"Good. Now, to go on the offensive. Charge up your attack, and swing." Atom gripped his blade as the Scout came closer. He began to focus closely on the Scout, and put some energy into his arm for the swing. The Scout came close, and Atom swung. The sword forced him to spin in place, and he lost his balance, falling over. The scout swung down, and Atom blocked with his shield. He quickly got up, blocking another blow. The shield began to splinter, so Atom knew it was almost broken.

"Crud! I've got to make this one count." Atom again focused on the Scout, and put some more energy into his arm to charge up his swing. "I need to hit it right this time!" The Scout came in close, and Atom swung. "I will not go down!" He yelled. The sword swung in a perfect circle, and Atom stayed upright. The Scout was knocked back again.

"Impressive. Now, for the final part of your training." The scout approached him again. "You must use an element to defeat the Guardian Scout."

"And element?" Asked Atom.

"Draw on the power you can to infuse it into your weapon."

"What?" The Scout rammed into Atom, knocking him back into a pillar. "Okay, that hurt." Atom gripped his sword again. "Draw on the power I can? What does that mean?" He wondered. He held up his shield again, and took notice of his Attribute Wheel. "Hold on, didn't this thing vanish when Bakugan was destroyed?" He thought of something. "An element?" He looked at the Scout as it approached. "Here goes nothing!" He held his blade with both hands. "Form Change!" He called. His Attribute Wheel glowed brightly, followed by his sword. "Pyrus!" The blade went aflame, burning blisteringly hot. Atom held it away from himself. "Okay, that's really, really hot!" He looked at the Guardian again, and charged forward. "This is where it ends!" He swung at it with his flaming sword, and cut through it. He didn't stop until he nearly fell to the floor. He then looked back to see that a section of it was melted. The top slid off the bottom, and the entire thing exploded.

"Will done." Said the voice. "You have learned all I can teach you. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I have taught you everything you will need to know. Now go, and help the world." Atom began to glow a soft yellow as his sword returned to normal. He vanished.

* * *

"What do you mean without Mega?" Asked Rika.

"The DATA Link was the only way I had to bring Dragonomon up to Mega without Biomerging. And since he's combined, I'm not sure we can undergo Biomerge." Azion fell to his knees. "I can't figure it out." Magantron seemed to smile.

"Now you get it, boy. It's impossible! You cannot defeat me! You were outplayed, and are outmatched. Whatever strength you had is now gone." Azion looked down.

"He's right." He sputtered. "We're outmatched here. His strength is just too great!" Tears started rolling down his face. Rika went up to him, then slapped him hard. Azion fell over, landing on his side and holding his cheek.

"Will you shut up already?!" Asked Rika. "Listen to yourself, you're blubbering like a baby! And why are you doing that? Just because our opponent gained a bit of power? You need to focus, Azion, and do what you can!" Rika held her hand out again. "Don't make me slap you again." Azion looked at her hand, then looked away.

"But what can I do?" He asked. "Face it, we're way out of our league here. He's too strong, and we're too weak. I don't know what we can do!" He looked at Pyreon. "Even with the numbers, we couldn't make a dent in him." He looked away. "I just feel so useless!" Rika got an idea.

"Hopefully this will work." Thought Rika. She looked at Azion. "If you feel so useless, then why is Mystic Dragonomon still fighting?" Azion looked at her, then back to the battle. Mystic Dragonomon was dodging attacks left and right, barely able to avoid them. "They need us right now. We can't lose our focus. If we do, not only will they be defeated, but possibly deleted." Azion gasped. "You need to snap out of it, Azion! The more to moan and groan about how impossible it is for us to defeat him, the more likely it'll be true!" Azion looked at the battle again. He gripped his fists.

"I can't believe I'm saying this." He started. "But Atom was right." He grabbed Rika's hand, and she pulled him up. "I did always have too big of an Ego. I always thought there was nothing that could defeat me. And now that I'm faced with something that could defeat me, I can't pull my head out of the gutter. I need to focus. I can't let out partners down!" He looked at the Fusion Loader, then his D-Power. He got a vision of two Fusion Loaders being used together to combine more Digimon. He looked at his D-Power, and thought of something. "Rika, bear with me on this, but I have an idea."

"Don't worry about me." Said Rika. "We just need to do something!" Azion gripped his D-Power.

"Okay Rika, here's the plan. Our Digimon are fused together, and that means we can't Biomerge with them alone."

"Yeah." Said Rika. "What's your point?"

"What I'm suggesting is that we both Biomerge at the same time." Rika looked at him.

"Are you sure? It could be dangerous."

"I'm positive." Said Azion. "It's the only way we will be able to defeat Magantron."

"Defeat me? Please." Said Magantron. "You don't have the power to do so!" Azion gripped his D-Power tightly.

"Are you with me?" Rika smiled.

"All the way." The two held their D-Powers in front of them.

"What are they doing?" Asked the Negative Shifter.

"Showing you our true power!" Yelled Azion. "On three, we need to call it out." Said Azion.

"Got it." Said Rika.

"One."

"Two."

"Three." They said together. "Biomerge Activate!" They both glowed along with Mystic Dragonomon. Their D-Powers flashed.

 _Dual Biomerge Activated._ The two were encased in the familiar bubbles, and began to fall towards Mystic Dragonomon. Azion from the front, Rika from the back. The two fell into their Digimon, and they began to glow brightly.

"What's happening?" Asked Magantron. Mystic Dragonomon emerged from the glow, changed. His arms were encased in gauntlets with sharp tips. His legs were similarly clad. His head looked like Sakuyamon's, but was tipped with a large horn like Fusion Dragonomon. The back of the head was also less foxlike and more draconic. Everything else was covered in yellow and red plated armor. Magantron began laughing at the being in front of him. "This is the best you could come up with? Really?" He continued laughing.

"You think you're so mighty, don't you?" Asked Dragonomon.

"Well, it's time for you to face our true power." Said Azion.

"We might not be more powerful than you," started Renamon.

"But we're more than a match for you!" Finished Rika.

"We are Draconic Sakuyamon!" They all declared. "The combination of two Digimon and two Humans in one body!" A staff appeared in their hand, and they grabbed it.

"Don't make me laugh." Said Magantron. "Just because of a small change doesn't make up my" Draconic Sakuyamon rushed forward and punched him in the gut before he could finish. Then, they hit him on the head, sending him flying back a bit. Magantron shook his head to regain his senses. "So, the little ones have some bite to them. Very well." Magantron prepared himself. "This will not end well for you!"

"Even if we fall, we will never end!" All four yelled.

* * *

Cassie leaned against a tree, looking through her book. "I just wish I had some kind of sign as to who I should have come with. They'll both be extremely helpful, but I can only bring one. Why must this be so difficult?" She closed her book. "Forget it. I'm never getting out of here at this rate to help anybody." As if hearing her, something responded.

"Even if we fall, we will never end!" Cassie stood up quickly.

"That voice." she said. "It sounds like Azion and Dragonomon!" The same message repeated itself. "Now it sounds like Rika and Renamon. What's going on?" Her book flashed, and the last page glowed. She opened it and began to read.

"To my future self, wherever you may be, never forget who you are. Since we came to defend Bakugan, I've felt an ominous presence. Neither good nor bad, but it felt like it was slightly directing me to make this entry. I suppose you'll find out why. Anyways, this is the message I needed to send myself. Hopefully it gets through!" Cassie reread the passage. "How is this possible? Why would I write a message to myself in the future?" Cassie thought of something. "Unless, the past me knew that I would need this and wrote it to help herself!" Cassie's head began to hurt, and she held it. "Huh? What's going on?" Memories began to flow into her, everything that had happened. From when she first shifted to being tossed away by the Destruction, everything realigned itself perfectly in her head. She gasped as the last memory settled into place. "Everything just came back to me." Her Attribute Wheel glowed brightly. She lifted her arm, and felt energy building at her hand. She looked at it to see a glowing symbol. In front of her was the same hand as was on Ford's Journals. Within it, instead of a number, was a bolded C. Around it was two symbols. An Egyptian Hieroglyph and two Greek letters, Alpha and Omega. Cassie closed her hand, and the symbol vanished. She opened it again, and it reappeared. She thought about it vanishing, and it did. Her book flashed again, and she opened it. Every page was filled in. She looked at the last page again. "Never forget who you are." She read. She looked up. "I know what I have to do now." She ran off to find Annabeth and Sadie. "I just hope I can get there in time!"

* * *

Atom reappeared outside of the shrine, facing towards Kakariko Village. He looked to the side to see Link resting against the cliff. "I think I know why you brought me here now." Said Atom. Link looked at him. "You had to learn this stuff too, didn't you?" Link smiled, and nodded. "So, this was all just to help me, wasn't it?" Link again nodded. Atom smiled. "Thanks." He walked over to Link, when he heard something.

"Magantron!" Atom looked around confusing Link.

"Did you hear that?" Link shrugged.

"We're running out of time!"

"Those voices." Said Atom. "It's Andrew and Cindy!" He looked at Link. "Do you know where Zelda is? I need to talk to her!" Link started getting up, but Atom felt a huge pain in his head. "What the?" He asked as he fell over. His hand glowed, and a bit of smoke came from the ground. His mind began to reboot, filling in all the gaps he was missing in his memory. "My, my memories." The last one fell into place, and Atom looked up again. "I, I remember everything. I, I can't believe it!" He looked at Link. "My name is Atom. And I know what needs to be done."

* * *

Syark looked over his calculations again, and checked on the stability of the Digimon Reality. "So far, so good. If they can just keep their focus, then we shouldn't have any problems." An alarm went off. "What the?" The timer for Invasion Core was pulled up, drastically changed. "Impossible. Were my calculations really that off?" The timer began to tick down the last ten seconds.

* * *

"Hey guys, do you think it's time we crash the party?" Asked Cameron. "Bakugan, Brawl! Bakugan Stand! Rise Pyrus Blazeon!"

"I think it is!"

"Bakugan Brawl!" Said Ashia. "Bearth, Stand!"

"No time like the present!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Jayden.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Akira.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Cera. Velocirex, Radion and Lunaris rose.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Garfield. "Bakugan, Stand! Rise Aquos Aquafibian!"

"You know it!"

"Too bad it's too late." Said Spectra.

"What?" Asked Cameron.

"Did you really think we would let that happen?" Asked Bill. "After what happened last time, we took precautions. Your Home Reality is about to burst!"

"Impossible." Said Cera. "We should still have"

"Another trick played by darkness!" Said Bill.

"At every turn you have been outplayed. Why should this one be any different?" Asked Spectra. "You only have a limited time before the ripples come for you. And they should be leaving now."

* * *

Syark could only watch as Invasion Core destabilized, and detonated. The ripples got sent out, travelling much faster than the ones from the Bakugan Reality. "This is bad." Syark pulled up what he could about the ripples, including the travel time. "Oh no! They have less than ten minutes before they're struck! I've got to" Every instrument on the Infinity Matrix failed again, as a being appeared inside.

"So, Syark, this is where you've been hiding out." Said the Destruction.

"Stay away from me, you coward!" Said Syark. "Leave me alone!"

"And why would I leave one of my own alone?" Asked the Destruction.

* * *

 _With two battles raging at the same time, it is up to the strength of everybody working together to win. However, with each passing moment, the odds of success drop further. Have those facing off against Spectra, Bill and Destruction Helios met their match? And what of those facing off against Chaos Magantron? What will come of the Neo Battle Brawlers? Will they all be able to come together again to defeat these sources of darkness, or are they all doomed to fail, all cast into the endless abyss between Realities?_


	27. Retribution - Part 2

**Aaaaand we're back! This chapter has taken a very long time, but I think you'll all enjoy the results! Let's see what the villains are packing, shall we?**

Everything is falling apart! We can't defeat these new, evolved forms of our most dangerous enemies! We're throwing everything we can at them, and nothing's working! Something has to be done, but what? What can we do to stop them ourselves?

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

"One of your own?" Asked Syark. "No, I was never one of your Negative Shifters!"

"You weren't?" Asked the Destruction. "That's funny. I suppose when you converted to the light, you lost your memory. I suppose you should remember then. It was years ago, back when I was destroying the outermost Realities. You were one of my first Negative Shifters. However, someone got word of what I was doing, and was sent out to defeat me. I lost you that day. Your Negative Gene was ripped out, and a Normal Gene implanted. Since then, you were given the name Syark, and have served for light. Ring a bell?"

Syark took a deep breath. "No, it doesn't. I never was, nor ever will be, a Negative Shifter! Now, get out of here! I don't want to look at you!" The Destruction laughed.

"How do you even know this is real?"

* * *

"Syark, Syark!" Called the Commander. "Wake up!" Syark jostled awake. "What's up with you?"

"I, I don't know, sir." Said Syark. "One moment I was here, the next everything seemed to go offline, and the Destruction appeared in front of me!"

"The Destruction?" Asked the Commander. He sighed. "Focus on the here and now, Syark. Okay?"

"Understood sir." Said Syark. He looked at his controls. "Sir," the Commander looked at him, "he said I was one of his own. Is that true?" The Commander shook his head.

"It never was, nor ever will be. Now, let's get back to the battle."

"Right sir." Syark looked at what was going on in the battle.

* * *

"They're leaving now?" Asked Ashia.

"Indeed." Said Spectra. "Your days are numbered!"

"They always were." Said Garfield. "But that doesn't change what we came here to do!"

"Yeah!" Said Cameron. "Garfield's right! We're going to give it our all, right up to the end! Right guys?" Jayden smiled.

"Well, seeing as how I have nothing better to do." Ashia hit his shoulder. "Hey!"

"What he means is that we're in!" She said. "All the way!"

"If it's our last battle, then we'll give it everything we've got!" Said Bearth.

"And I think we all know the first thing that has to happen." Said Akira. She looked at Destruction Helios, then to the bubble Magnatron and Magnaliger were in. "Think you can take care of that?"

"On it!" Said Radion. She charged the bubble.

"Oh no you don't!" Said Spectra. "Helios!" Destruction Helios charged in front of Radion.

"Now!" Yelled Akira. "Ability Activate! Angel Accelerator!" Radion charged forward, dodging Destruction Helios.

"Ability Activate!" Said Jayden. "Crystal Whip!" Velocirex generated his whip, and tossed it up. Radion grabbed it, and charged towards the bubble.

"Ability Activate!" Yelled Spectra. "Dimensional Destruction!" Destruction Helios began charging up a massive blast that lit up the entire area. Radion approached the bubble. "Fire!" The beam rocketed towards Radion, quickly overtaking here.

"Too slow!" She said, and she seemed to phase above it. "Missed me, missed me, now you gotta" she realized what she was saying. "Never mind." The beam hit the bubble, weakening it. Radion swung the whip, hitting the bubble and popping it. Magnatron and Magnaliger's eyes returned to their normal colors. They shook their heads.

"What happened?" Asked Magnatron.

"What's going on?" Asked Magnaliger. Cindy and Andrew smiled.

"Don't worry about that right now, Magnatron." Said Andrew. "Just know that we got lucky."

"Huh?" Magnatron moved his arm up to rub his neck, and noticed something wrong. "What the?" Magnaliger looked over himself, noticing a similar disfigurement.

"I'm guessing what happened to us wasn't 'nothing'." He said.

"Like Andrew said, don't worry about it for now!" Called Cindy. She and Andrew turned towards Spectra and Destruction Helios. "Let's focus on them!"

"You guys got that?" Asked Andrew.

"Let's go then!" Said Magnatron.

"We won't fall!" Agreed Magnaliger. Spectra growled.

"You think that's all it takes?" He asked. "Do you really? Your bodies are still on a countdown! Feel it for yourselves, the power overload is already getting to both of you. Go ahead, embrace it! Feel it flow, get stronger, push you further past your limits! Both of you are on borrowed time as it is. You'll never defeat us in time to revert to safety!" Destruction Helios flew back, away from the two overpowered Bakugan.

"Wait, what?" Asked Magantron. He looked at Andrew. "Is that what happened? He forced us to keep absorbing more power?"

"No wonder our bodies look the way they are." Agreed Magnaliger. He winced. "And I can feel just how overloaded I am. He's right, we don't have much time." He looked at Destruction Helios. "But we better use this power to defeat him!"

"Agreed!" Said Magnatron. The two rushed after Helios, followed by the rest of the Bakugan.

* * *

Magantron charged into Draconic Sakuyamon, sending them flying. They quickly came back, and returned an attack, which Magantron caught. He laughed. "You power is pitiful now when compared to mine." He tossed them away with ease, and looked back at the Negative Shifter. "Give me more power, now! These pests are annoying at best, but I can't get rid of them. I want to annihilate them!"

"Understood." The Negative Shifter raised three cards. "The Destruction has created these three cards specifically for you. Now relish in their power!" He threw one. "Chaos Amplifier X!" The card wrapped around Magantron, but before it was absorbed the Negative Shifter threw another one. "Combination ability! Reamplify X!" It wrapped around Magnatron too, and was absorbed into the first chains. They began pumping power into him, bulking him up.

"Perfect." Said Magantron. "The energy is flowing into me!"

"Let me explain the two cards." Said the Negative Shifter. "Chaos Amplifier X causes additional chaos to build up in Magantron's body. This extra chaos acts as a massive energy pressure which boosts his power to absurd levels. Of course, he does have his limits, so if he accumulates too much chaos, the excess will be expunged. Naturally, it'll be expelled into whatever atmosphere is nearby. This, of course, is bad for you Shifters. Chaos Energy is a poison for you. And, as for Reamplify X, well, let's just say that it'll keep his chaos generation up to extreme levels, while simultaneously putting a lid on his chaos storage, forcing it to keep building up to ever higher levels of power."

"But with all that chaos building up, wouldn't it eventually get to be too much?" Asked Azion. "Everything has limits. Bakugan are no exception."

"That's true." Said the Negative Shifter. "But, that's where you're wrong. These special Forbidden Cards prevent the Bakugan from dying to any means. That means Magantron's power will be able to grow endlessly." The chains around Magantron began to abate, and his eyes shone with extra power.

"I can feel the pressure building inside of me." He said. "I need MORE!" His body shuddered, and then grew in size. He roared powerfully. "My power is only increasing at an exponential rate. Nothing will be able to stand in my way soon!" His body surged again.

"And just wait until I activate the next ability." Said the Negative Shifter. Magantron smiled.

"Do it. Do it now! I need more power!"

"You've got it. Ability Activ" Draconic Sakuyamon dashed into him, and forced him back. The Negative Shifter lost his grip on the last card, and it got flung away. Magantron reached out for it, and with another swell in size he was able to reach it.

"What were you planning?" He wondered. He looked at the card, and smiled. "I can use this myself!" His body surged in size again, and more veins began to appear on his body. "Thanks to you, I now have all the power I could ever need." He raised the card as Draconic Sakuyamon could only watch. "Time to activate this ability! Enhancement X!" The card wrapped around him tighter than the other two, and his body swelled against it. "According to what it said, this little thing will multiply my chaos gains tenfold! Added to that, it'll decrease the initial size of my internal storage, causing my power to grow even more from the added pressure! It'll even give me the ability to control its size, so I can amplify myself even more!" Magantron laughed. "Good luck stopping me now, you pathetic insects!" Draconic Sakuyamon just watched as Magantron's body continued to swell, gaining more and more power.

* * *

Cassie ran up to Annabeth and Sadie, panting. They looked at her. "What's wrong?" Asked Annabeth.

"Nothing, and that's best part!" Said Cassie. "I remember everything now! And, I know what I need to do. The powers of pair it was talking about, along with the Gene to spare, it wasn't talking about me giving one of my genes to one of you, it was about me learning of my power that is of pair to yours! My gene to spare wasn't about my Realital Genes, it was about my heritage, my ancestors genes that are still within me." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry my friends, but it's time for me to go. Can you tell Percy for me?"

"Sure, we can, but what are you planning to do?" Asked Annabeth.

"I plan to help my friends in any way I can. I'm needed, just like you said. I don't wish I never got my first gene, I don't wish I had lived a mundane life. This is where I'm needed, and I'm going to fight for what's right!" Sadie smiled.

"Then let me give you just a little more help." She said. She grabbed her necklace, and took it off. "This was a gift from my dad. I can use it to communicate with Isis, the Egyptian goddess of magic. But, I can feel that you need it more than I do now." She pressed it into Cassie's hands. "Just promise you'll return it some day, okay?" Cassie smiled.

"Even if I have to travel all Realities to do it, you have my word." Cassie began to fade, then vanished before them. Annabeth and Sadie heard on final thing from her. "Thank you for everything!"

* * *

Cassie reappeared outside the Reality, and began to plot her course. She felt something rise up, and saw something akin to a map in front of her. She willed it away, and it vanished. She smiled as she brought it back up again. "This'll be useful in the future." She set her course, and began moving as fast as possible. "Hold on guys, I'm coming!" She moved as fast as she could.

* * *

Link looked at Atom like he was crazy. "Yes, I know how absurd that sounds. But believe me, I know what needs to be done. The world is filled with chaos and disorder. You need to unite everybody to create harmony. That'll balance out the disorder and prevent the Darkening moon from showing itself again. Then, it's just a matter of stopping the monsters from causing more disorder." Link considered that for a second, then nodded. "So, you agree?" He nodded again, and grabbed onto Atom. He tapped a location of the Sheikah Slate, and they warped away, leaving only a mark on the ground that looked like an A, surrounded by an Attribute Wheel with a sword going through it. They reappeared next to the Hateno Research Station again, and walked in. Zelda quickly stood up, followed by Purah and Symin.

"How did it go?" Asked Zelda. Link gave a thumbs up. "Wonderful!"

"So, who are you?" Asked Purah. "If everything went so well, then perhaps you've remembered more."

"Indeed, I have." Said Atom. "And, I've also figured out what needs to be done to stop the monsters. You guys need to unite the scattered people of Hyrule to create harmony. The only reason the Darkening Moon even exists right now is because of all the Chaos and Disorder in Hyrule. Bringing together the people of Hyrule would bring enough harmony to balance the disorder. Then, it's all about stopping the monsters. Without the Darkening Moon to empower them, they'll be easy to defeat." Atom took a deep breath. "And Purah, to answer your question, my name is Atom. I've been able to recall everything, which allows me to know how to get out of this Reality to help my friends. While I don't want to leave you alone to face off against these monsters, I have a bigger battle that I need to go to." Zelda nodded.

"We understand. You are needed elsewhere. Your home is in danger, and you won't stop fighting to protect it. We understand." Purah clapped.

"Yeah! You do what you need to do! We can handle it from here!"

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to contact us." Said Symin. "If we can, we will help you in any way we can, after we deal with our own problems, of course."

"Thank you all, for everything you've done to help me." Said Atom. He turned to Link. "Link, thanks for the training. I needed that. I'd pay you for it, but, well," Link held up his hand, as if saying he understood. "Thanks for understanding." Link nodded, then his face turned darker. He reached back, and grabbed the Master Sword. "Huh?"

"Link, what are you" Link held up his hand towards Zelda, as if asking her to be quiet. He kneeled down, and rested the Master Sword in his hands. He seemed to be trying to give it to Atom.

"Uh, Link, are you feeling okay?" He asked. "That's the Master Sword. It follows the soul of the hero through thick and thin. You can't just give it up!" Link took a deep breath.

"I no longer need it." He said. Everybody in the room was stunned.

"Link?" Asked Zelda. "What do you mean?"

"I don't talk often, so I'm only saying this once. Ganon is defeated. Princess, you yourself said that he had given up on resurrection. He's gone. The Master Sword is just a sword now, without an evil to fight. It's purpose has been accomplished. Atom, he has something he needs to do. He needs it more than I do." He turned to Zelda. "You know I'm right. He needs as much help as possible. This is my offer to help." Zelda sighed.

"I understand." She turned to Atom. "Atom, please, accept Link's help. You'll need it."

"Okay." I said. I reached for the handle, and gripped the Master Sword. I raised it up, and felt the sheath on my back morph into one for the Master Sword. I sheathed it, then focused on Link as stood back up. "Thank you. All of you. For everything. I wouldn't have gotten here without you."

"Call us if you need us!" Said Purah.

"I will." Atom vanished, leaving the rest alone.

"Now, we need to get started on his plan." Said Zelda. She looked at Link. "Link, you gather together everybody who survived the Bokoblin attack. We'll need them." Link nodded, and quickly left the room.

* * *

Atom reappeared outside the Reality, ready to find his friends and help them. He looked around trying to get his bearings. "And, I'm lost. Great." His hand began to tingle, and he looked at it. A symbol appeared in front of him. In the center was an A, and surrounding it were the Six Attributes. Going through the A was a sword. Atom closed his hand, and reopened it, hiding and revealing the symbol. He willed it away, and felt a strange power course through him. His hand began to glow, and he thrust it forward. A gray Realital Gate appeared in front of him. "No freaking way." He said. He rushed towards the gate, and entered it. "I can open Realital Gates?" It closed behind him.

* * *

Everybody was continuing to fight against Destruction Helios. Blazeon rammed into him, sending him into Aquafibian, who slammed him into Bearth. Magnatron and Magnaliger fired at him as he passed, getting grazing blows. But, nothing was defeating him. "Haven't you figured it out yet?" Asked Spectra. "You can't defeat him! Not as long as I stand!" Vladitor approached behind him, only to be stopped by Bill.

"Naughty, naughty, naughty." He scolded. "Nobody gets past me! You want to take out Spectra, you'll have to go through me!"

"So be it." Said Vladitor. He raised his hand, and summoned his hammer. He swung it wildy at Bill, who dodged every blow.

"This isn't working!" Said Andrew. "And we're running out of time! Magnatron! Is there any way you can decrease your power?"

"Not that I know of." Said Magnatron. "We just have to keep fighting and hoping!" He winced, missing Destruction Helios again.

"Now is the time." Said Spectra. He waved his hand, and darkness began to flood the nearby Reality. "Now for your choice! Save the Reality, or save your friends?" Tom looked back and forth.

"Uh, guys! We have a problem here! Hello? Anybody! Can anybody hear me?" Syark continued trying to get things up and running to help the Reality, but nothing was ready.

"We can't do anything!" He responded. "Systems still haven't fully recovered from losing the Bakugan Reality!" The Reality continued to darken. "I'm sorry. We can't save this one." Tom looked back to the battle.

"We can't save the Reality." He said. He looked up. "But we can save our friends!" He grabbed a card. "It's a good thing Atom doesn't keep these a secret." He raised the yellow card. "Slight! Get ready!"

"Already am!"

"Unitris Ability Activate!" Tom threw the card. "Unitris Burst!" The card glided in front of Slight, and he took aim. "We need to save our friends!"

"Understood." Said Slight. He took aim at Magnatron and Magnaliger. "Here's your help, guys!" He launched the attack, sending light bursts at them. They were surrounded by the lights.

"What?" Asked Spectra. His pupils shrank. "No!" The lights began to bath Magnatron and Magnaliger in light, and the effects of Spectra's cards began to reverse. Their bodies returned to normal. When it was done, the lights vanished. Slight collapsed.

"Man. I never knew how taxing those abilities were." He said. He glowed, and returned to Tom.

"At least it worked." Tom looked at his allies. "I'm not able to fight anymore, but give it all you've got!"

* * *

Draconic Sakuyamon continued dodging Magantron's attacks, barely avoiding them every time. And it was getting harder, as he kept on getting larger. "Give up already! You cannot defeat me!" He swiped at them again, scoring a glancing blow on them. They spun as they were flung a fair distance away. "I cannot lose! I will continue gaining power until I can totally annihilate you!" He fired a beam at them, which they barely dodged in time. A green Realital Gate appeared near them. "What?"

"Could they have found us?" Asked Azion.

"I don't think so." Said Rika. "It's smaller than normal." Indeed, the Realital Gate seemed only large enough for one person.

"If that's the case, then who could it be?" Asked Dragonomon. An energy signature suddenly rang out from the Gate, and Magantron stared at it.

"Impossible. I was told he was sent to the far reaches of Realities!" Azion gasped.

"You don't think"

"Anything's possible, Azion." Atom emerged from the Gate. "To be honest, I didn't expect to end up here. I thought I was heading towards Andrew and Cindy to help them. But, I suppose I could help out here instead!" He faced Magantron. "And it seems that you've evolved. And with how you look, I can only assume the Forbidden Cards were involved!" Magantron laughed.

"Sharp as ever. But you're too late! My power has already grown beyond what you can comprehend!"

"Beyond what I can comprehend?" Asked Atom. "Can you comprehend Aleph Null?"

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, just a number representing the entirety of countable numbers. If I can comprehend that, don't you think I could comprehend your power?" He looked over at Draconic Sakuyamon. "So, how did this start? What did he use?"

"You'll never know!" Said the Negative Shifter. "I was told that if you or your cousin showed up, I was to take you out of the equation!" He charged Atom.

"Sorry, but, you'll find that the Destruction's plan backfired!" He drew his blade, and stood his ground. "Form Change! Haos!" The Master Sword burst to light, blinding the Negative Shifter. His darkness began to burn away.

"What is this power?!"

"Your defeat." Said Atom. He rushed forward, and slashed at the Negative Shifter. "You guys focus on Magantron! I'll keep his brawler busy!" He slashed again.

* * *

Magnatron and Magnaliger focused their efforts of Destruction Helios. "Ability Activate!" Said Andrew. "Star Buster!" Magnatron began charging up.

"Time for a Power Pounce!" Said Cindy. Both Bakugan readied their attacks.

"Let's do it!" Said Magnatron. Magnaliger got in front of him, and charged. Magnatron fired, encasing Magnaliger. The combined attack rushed towards Destruction Helios. The Star Buster collapsed around Magnaliger's paw, and he thrust it towards Destruction Helios.

"Enough of this!" Declared Spectra. He raised another card. "Ability, Activate!" He threw the card right in front of Destruction Helios. "Darkness Absorption X!" The darkness pouring into the Reality abated, and everything that was forced into it was sucked out. It all poured into Destruction Helios, making him more and more powerful. His eyes glowed a dark red, and his body began pushing out, trying to contain the extreme amounts of power. Darkness continued to flood into him, the same darkness that was supposed to keep going into the Reality. It all just poured into him. "Yes! More! Absorb everything you need to destroy them all!" Destruction Helios's power just kept skyrocketing, and his size just kept going up as he gained more power. The shapes around his body began to glow with an extremely dark energy.

"Spectra, what are you doing?!" Asked Bill. "All this power, no matter what Bakugan, will make them explode!"

"No! Not my perfect Destruction Helios! He's unstoppable! Unbeatable! Indestructible! He will not lose!" Spectra raised another ability. "Helios! Put the lid on it! It's time to amplify your power even more!" Destruction Helios didn't stop, he just kept absorbing more and more darkness, getting more powerful and larger. "I understand. You can't more, don't you? I will give you everything you want!" He threw the ability. "Ability Activate!" The ability wrapped around Destruction Helios, and began to strain to keep around him as he continued swelling larger and larger from his power overload. "Darkness Pressurizer X!" Destruction Helios's eyes widened with the massive influx of power. He roared loudly, and clenched his body. Internally, all the darkness he had absorbed was being compressed into a smaller area, allowing for exponentially more power to be gathered and compressed even further. "Yes, more. More! MORE! Continue gaining power! Compress it down as tightly as you can, absorb more!" Destruction Helios's body continued ascending larger and larger. The pressure within him was reaching insane levels, generating more power. In the center of all the chaos, something was forming. Destruction Helios felt it, and attempted to stop, but his body wouldn't listen. He continued gaining more and more power, and the singularity of darkness continued to grow within him. He roared in pain. "Just a little more." Said Spectra. "You will defeat them. You will defeat them all!" Clate's eyes widened.

"Everybody, get some cover!" He yelled. The controlling effects of Bill and Spectra's ray began to wear off, enough for all who were affected to listen to Clate. Destruction Helios's body continued to pack more and more darkness within, generating a chain reaction that was soon spiraling out of control. More darkness began to pour in, and as more entered him more flowed towards him. He roared again, and his body began to contract on itself.

"What?" Asked Spectra. "No. This can't be. Fight it Helios! Fight it!" Destruction Helios's body swelled larger again, but it quickly shrank down more.

"Clate, what's going on?" Asked Chaos

"It's the darkness within Destruction Helios!" Called Clate. "Because of how much he's absorbed and how tightly it's been compressed, it's going to form a black hole of darkness!" Everybody looked at Destruction Helios as he continued to shrink down into himself. His body continued compacting further.

"No! I won't let this happen!" Said Spectra. "I never lose!"

"Spectra, you need to give it up!" Said Bill. "You've pushed too far this time! It's too late to save him!" He grabbed onto Spectra. "Look, we need to go, now! Otherwise we'll be the ones who are goners!" Spectra growled.

"Bill, what makes you think you have the audacity to command me?!" Asked Spectra. "I never lose! I will make sure Destruction Helios wins, and gets rid of all these pests!" He raised another card.

"Don't do it!" Warned Bill.

"Everybody, behind me!" Yelled Clate. He began to glow black as he tapped on his sleeping power.

"What's going on?" Asked Dan.

"I'm going to buy you guys as much time as possible. While Atom purified me, I still have my ability to control darkness! I can create a shield to protect us!" Clate's hands glowed a dark color, and he thrust them in front of himself. A wall of darkness appeared, blocking all visibility of Spectra, Bill and Destruction Helios. Someone appeared in the distance, and gasped.

"Am I too late to help?" She asked, seeing Destruction Helios.

"Ability Activate!" Yelled Spectra.

"No, it's not too late. Not yet!" The girl pointed her hand. "Ilen En-Mar!" She quickly approached Spectra, and grabbed his hand and covered his mouth, preventing him from activating his last ability.

"No, it can't be!" Said Bill. Cassie looked at him. "Impossible! I saw you flung to the far reaches of Realities! You can't be here!"

"But I am." Said Cassie. Her hands glowed. "Hah-ri!" Spectra's vocal cords froze, preventing him from making a sound. "That should stop him." She looked at Destruction Helios. "Now, to stop him!"

"I think I heard something!" Said Chaos. "Clate, lower the shield!"

"No!" Said Clate. "Get in contact with the Infinity Matrix, now! We can't stay here any longer!"

"It's time to stop the needless destruction!" Yelled Cassie.

"It's Cassie!" Said Tom. "Drop the shield!" Clate's focus waned, and the shield of darkness dropped. Everybody saw her going around Destruction Helios quickly.

"What's she doing?" Asked Marucho.

"I don't know." Said Shun. "But I hope she does!" Cassie continued going around Destruction Helios, creating a massive circle around him. She put her hands on its surface, as if it was solid.

"It's time to end your suffering." She said. "Fah." The circle glowed with energy, and the hieroglyph formed above Destruction Helios. The pressures that were on the darkness within him was released, and it all rocketed out. "Drowah!" Cassie created a barrier on the front side of Destruction Helios. The darkness within him hit the barrier, and bounced back. Everybody could only watch in awe at what Cassie accomplished. Spectra watched as his hard work just blew out of Destruction Helios. He hung his head in despair as Bill put his hand on Spectra's shoulder. Bill watched on, amazed as well.

"Well, I've got to hand it to the kid. She's gotten strong." He thought. He noticed where the darkness was rocketing. "But not clever!" He pulled Spectra's head up. "Look!" He said. "She's made a huge mistake!" The darkness raced for the Reality, even as Destruction Helios emptied from all of his darkness. One last thing popped out, and fell to her. Destruction Helios glowed, and returned to his Probability Helios form.

"So, I see now what happened." Said Cassie. She grabbed the Chaos Ability X card, and Probability Helios glowed, defeated. He flew down to Spectra, and rolled a bit. The remaining Bakugan returned to ball form, and fell to their brawlers. They caught them.

"As impressive as that was," started Bill, "you've done our work for us!" Cassie looked further to see the nearby Reality vanish into darkness.

"No way!" Said Henry. "After all that, we still lost?"

"Even when we lose, we win." Said Bill. Spectra grabbed Probability Helios, and they vanished into darkness. Cassie turned to her friends.

"Hey guys! How's it going?" She asked.

* * *

"So, Atom has put all his faith into you?" Asked Magantron. He laughed. "Why would he entrust everything to you two? You have nothing to offer your team. You couldn't even make a scratch on me before!"

"That was before, this is now!" Said Rika. "We have great determination against you!"

"There's a reason we were all selected." Added Dragonomon. "We're the only ones who can do it!"

"Atom believes in us, so we will succeed!" Said Azion.

"And you will never stop us!" Finished Renamon.

"It is time for you to end!" Declared Draconic Sakuyamon. They raised their staff, and prepared a blast. The Energy Twist Triangle established itself in the middle of the staff, and the Light Symbol rotated to the top. Energy gathered at the top, and they took aim. A beam fired from the tip, and struck Magantron in the shoulder. He stumbled back, suffering actual damage from the blow.

"What the?" He asked. The beam subsided, and he looked at his shoulder. He brushed the soot off, and took notice of the minimal damage. He looked back at Draconic Sakuyamon, and growled. "Who do you think you are?" He asked. "Nobody damages me like that!"

"Sorry Magantron." Said Rika. "But we just did!"

"It seems that we're not so helpless after all, huh?" Asked Azion. "Now that we have access to the powers of Light, this'll be much easier!"

"Is that so?" Asked Magantron. "Well, what'll you do if I do this?" His eyes closed in concentration, and his power flared up. He expanded larger, roughly three times his normal size. "My power is still rising, and you can do nothing to stop it!"

* * *

 _Well, we've defeated one group. Now we've just got to hope the others can stop Magantron before he wipes them out! On top of that, Cassie's back! If she's back, that means Atom can't be far behind. And while we question her on what happens, he's busy with Azion trying to stop Magantron before it's too late! Will they succeed?_


	28. Retribution - Part 3

**Well, here we go! I'm working on my other two, but it's slow going. Hopefully I'll have one up this weekend.**

Digimon is vulnerable. Only one protective Reality remains, and it cannot hold against the Destruction. Our power is weakening, but we must do all we can to prevail! We will defend Digimon, to the death if we must! In order to do so, we need everything at our disposal! We need all of our allies!

* * *

 _Powers locked away inside_

 _Step up to give the gift of divine_

 _There is no knowing what we face_

 _But we know it to be unsafe_

 _The time now to find_

 _Our guiding light_

 _And save everything that is known_

 _To protect our home_

* * *

The ripple continued to approach, ignored by almost everybody. All focus was on Cassie, and the feats she had managed. "How did you do that?" Asked Marucho.

"Yeah!" Said Takato. "It was almost like"

"Magic." Finished Mabel. "Oh my gosh! Can you use magic now?!"

"Mabel, I doubt that's what she"

"Actually Dipper, it is." Said Cassie. Almost everybody's jaw hit the floor. Only Andrew and Daniel's didn't. "To be precise, Egyptian Magic."

"Egyptian Magic?" Asked Ford. "Why, I didn't think it was possible for such a lost art to exist. I remember seeing something about it"

"In your travels, we know." Said Stan. "Why don't you let Cassie tell us what the heck just happened?"

"That's fair, I suppose."

"So, what actually happened?" Asked Tom. "I mean, it's not like you could just get these abilities on a whim, right?"

"To be fair, all of us did get our abilities basically on a whim." Said Chaos. "Form Change, Atom with Attributic Split, our unique abilities, the list goes on."

"Well, whatever caused it, you showed up just in time!" Said Cameron. "We would've died without you!"

"No kidding." Said Hanabi. "From what Clate said, Destruction Helios was ready to blow because of the mass darkness within him."

"It was insane!" Said Yuri. "I never knew such a thing could happen! Not in a million years!"

"Brother, darling, please calm down."

"You'd be amazed at what's possible out here." Said Cassie.

"So, who'd you meet?" Asked Andrew.

"Huh?" Asked Cassie.

"From everything we know, there's only one thing that deals with Egyptian Magic as its own story." Said Daniel. "So spill. Who'd you meet?"

"Oh, uh, right." Said Cassie. She grabbed her book. "Well, it's strange. When I woke up, I found myself inside Camp Half-Blood. I don't know why I landed there, but I did. Then, Percy and Annabeth came up to me. They took me to someone named Clovis, who helped recover some of my memories. Then Sadie showed up because Annabeth called her. She translated the symbols on the cover of this book into something readable between the three of us. One thing led to another, I relearned myself a bit more, I went off and sulked a little, wished I never got my Realital Gene, read a message I wrote to myself in the past, got back up and left the Reality to help you guys. And here we are." The ripple began to show itself. "Uh, what's that?"

"What's what?" Asked Dan. The entire group turned around to see the ripple pass them. Most of the Neo Battle Brawlers began to glow.

"Crud!" Said Ashia. "We forgot about this!"

"I'm not ready!" Wailed Radion.

"Just when it was getting good." Said Jayden.

"Well, it seems that our time is up." Said Cera.

"Most of us, at least." Said Garfield. Everybody looked at him and noticed that neither he nor Aquafibian were glowing.

"Wait, what?" Asked Cameron. "Why aren't you fading?"

"I, I don't know." Said Garfield. "If I did, I'd help stop it for you."

"This brings a whole new light onto things." Said Cindy.

"Well, whatever happens from here on out doesn't concern us." Said Akira.

"I just hate that it ends like this!" Said Blazeon. "Of everything that could've ended us, it had to be this."

"I just hope everything works out for everyone who's left." Said Bearth.

"Agreed." Said Lunaris. "If we're lucky, you will be able to save everything. Don't let our demise lead to your downfall."

"I still want to go out with a bang rather than a poof!" Said Blazeon.

"Well, we don't have that choice." Said Velocirex. "It was taken from us when the Bakugan Reality fell." The five Neo Battle Brawlers and their Bakugan glowed even brighter, and began to fade from the feet up.

"This is goodbye, I guess." Said Cameron.

"No." Said Cassie. She began flipping through her book.

"What do you mean no?" Asked Shun.

"I won't let it end like this!" Said Cassie. "We're not losing more of us! We can't! If we do" she didn't finish that sentence, and continued looking through her book. "There has to be something in here! Anything!" She continued searching frantically, only for Akira to put her hand over Cassie's.

"You can't focus on us. We're not the ones that are needed. The rest of you are." The fading had approached their waists, then their chests. "You need to fight on, and stop the Destruction! If you do, it may be possible to undo what he's done! While he remains, it'll be impossible to reverse the damage he's caused. You have to fight on, no matter what happens to us." The fading effect reached everybody's shoulders, and their arms began to vanish.

"You guys will be fine without us!" Said Cameron. "I mean, we're not the strongest out of the group. And our time was already limited. So, don't fret about us! We're not what you should be focusing on!" Their hands faded and they were almost gone.

"We'll push on." Said Garfield. His eyes were watering a bit. "We'll figure out some way to save you."

"We know you guys will." Said Akira." The five Neo Battle Brawlers that were fading all closed their eyes, glowed brighter, and vanished. Their Bakugan faded as well. Garfield wiped his eyes, and focused on the group.

"We should probably get back to the Infinity Matrix, right?"

"Right." Said Cassie, still saddened by the loss of yet more teammates.

* * *

Atom sliced at the Negative Shifter again, and landed a glancing blow. The area his opponent was cut began to glow. "You think this is a joke?" Asked the Negative Shifter. "Face it! You've lost! The Destruction is already on his way to destroy the main Digimon Reality!"

"Doesn't mean we can't stop you and Magantron, here and now." Said Atom. He raised the Master Sword again. "We've fought this long. What's another minute?" The Negative Shifter began laughing.

"One minute?" He asked. "You're joking! You cannot defeat Magantron in his current state in one minute!"

"Wanna bet?" Asked Atom. He pointed his sword. "Beating you is a good place to start!" He rushed in again. Nearby, Draconic Sakuyamon charged Magantron again, scoring another blow on his head. A small mark was left. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Insolent pests!" Bellowed Magantron. He swiped at them again, and knocked them away. The mark healed. "You cannot defeat me! You're too weak! Just like everybody else you work with! You'll never defeat the Destruction!"

"You think we can't defeat you?" Asked Azion.

"Then we'll just show you how wrong you are!" Said Rika. The Gravity Falls Reality glowed, followed by Draconic Sakuyamon. "I might not be Cassie, but I'm connected to Gravity Falls just like her! And with Azion's help as a Realital Defender, I can tap into its power!" Their staff glowed brighter, and the Light Symbol lit up. Another blast was prepared, and was fired at Magantron. He blocked it with his hand.

"Foolish." He thrust his fist at Draconic Sakuyamon, and landed the blow, sending them flying away. "My raw power is too much for you!" Magantron's aura flared up in a very dark, purple color. "And it seems that my body agrees with me. I want more!" Darkness began to flow into him with the chaos, and was added to the maelstrom already within him. "I will not surrender to any of you!" His body surged. "Not now" his aura flared up brighter, "not ever! You will never beat me!" Something generated in his hand. "Time to try out my first new ability!" He began to swing the mace quickly, creating a wind around it. "Take this!" The mace was launched at Draconic Sakuyamon, who quickly went up to avoid it. One of the spikes hit their foot, sending a blast of pain through them. Atom looked at them.

"Guys!" The Negative Shifter charged, attacking Atom in close range. Atom swung his sword, missing.

"You will never win!" The Negative Shifter began to mold something from the darkness around him. In a few seconds, he was holding a sword similar to Atom's. "Meet your maker!" He swung at Atom, who parried. The two sliced at each other, shooting sparks from their strikes. They held each other as close as possible without cutting themselves on their opposition's blade, and broke apart.

"Gotta admit, you're surprising me." Said Atom. "The Destruction doesn't typically make Negative Shifters with such skill."

"Most aren't created to defeat a certain opponent." Countered the Negative Shifter. "I was given everything I needed to defeat you or Cassie, no matter what you pulled. Face it, you will not win!" The Negative Shifter charged in again, and swung. He landed a glancing blow on Atom's arm, which began to bleed.

"Whatever you do to me, I can do right back!" Replied Atom. He charged the Negative Shifter and sliced him in the same spot, and he began to bleed as well. The two continued to swing at each other, landing glancing blow after glancing blow, and ending up face to face again with their swords crossed, neither giving an inch. The Negative Shifter's blade began to glow with a vile energy, and he began to gain ground on Atom.

"Yield!" He continued to gain ground, forcing Atom down.

"Never!" Atom began to fight back, and his Attribute Wheel began to glow. The light of his blade began to push against the vile energy the Negative Shifter's sword was giving off, but it wasn't enough. Atom continued to be pushed down. Draconic Sakuyamon rushed in for another strike, only to get hit full on by the mace. They pixelated, then the Digifuse broke down, splitting them into Fusion Dragonomon and Sakuyamon, then the biomerge failed on them, splitting them into Azion, Dragonomon, Rika and Renamon.

"No!" Yelled Atom. He continued to fight against the Negative Shifter's sword.

"You cannot win!" Atom continued to be pushed back, and split his focus between his friends and his current battle.

"Now to finish you!" Said Magantron. He began to charge up one more attack, aimed at Azion and Rika. They could only watch their impending doom charge up, unable to get out of the attack's radius in time.

"Well, this sucks." Said Azion. He grabbed Pyreon and looked at Rika. "This seems like the end. I just wanted to say thank you. You and the other tamers helped me get back home. I owe you guys everything." Magantron continued to charge his attack.

"Any last words?" He asked, knowing full and well they were finished. Atom turned his focus on the Negative Shifter once again.

"You" Magantron prepared to fire "will" the light brightened "not" he fired "beat me!" Atom broke free of the Negative Shifter, and went as quickly as he could in front of Azion and Rika. The Negative Shifter fell forward as the beam approached the two tamers. Atom's Attribute Wheel and Energy Twist Triangle glowed as he went in front of them. He took the blast head on instead of them. It split into two to either side of him.

"What?" Asked the Negative Shifter. "He's gone mad! Even he knows he'll be destroyed by that! And for what? To save his friends?! He's insane!"

"Atom, no!" Said Azion. Atom began to glow, and the beam suddenly split into six parts, going around him. Atom held a shield forward, blocking the attack.

"Impossible." Said Magantron. "That should've vaporised you! That should've vaporised all of you, leaving nothing but dust!" His attack faltered, and revealed Atom mostly unharmed, holding a glowing, blue shield. In its glow, almost as if part of the shield itself, was Atom's Shifter Symbol, the same one he accidentally burned into the ground when he regained his last remaining memories.

"Anything's possible." He said. He lowered his shield. "I definitely think the Destruction messed up, big time!" Magantron fired again, this time in a smaller beam. It quickly approached Atom, who thrust his shield out to intercept it. The beam flew back at Magantron, hitting him in the face. He recoiled.

"Impossible." He said, again. "Nothing is capable of stopping my attacks! Nothing across all Realities!"

"Who ever said anything about stopping your attacks?" Asked Atom. "All I did was redirect it!" He held his hand up, and his Shifter Symbol appeared in front of it. A small, blue object formed in his hand. "What the?" He looked at the object closely. "No way."

"What's up Atom?" Asked Azion. Atom held the object in both hands.

"I never thought I'd see this." Said Atom. He looked at Azion and Rika. "I have an idea!"

"You won't get to use it!" Declared the Negative Shifter. He charged at Atom again, who blocked with his shield.

"I agree." Said Magantron. He raised his hand, and began swinging his mace. "You'll never block this!" He sent the mace flying at Atom. The Negative Shifter backed away, avoiding the attack. Atom raised his shield, and focused. Time seemed to slow down around him, and he thrust his shield forward. The force from the mace knocked Atom backwards, out of range. However, he was unharmed. "What is with you?! You're not supposed to be alive!"

"Like I said, the Destruction's plan backfired!" Said Atom. He brought the item to his mouth, and took a deep breath. He blowed into it, and an awful noise came out of it. "Uh, one moment." He blew again into it, getting a marginally better tone.

"You're not going to get that moment!" Said the Negative Shifter as he charged again. Atom blocked with his shield and put the Ocarina away. He grabbed his sword and swung at his assailant. The two again stalemated, but the Negative Shifter again began to win. Azion focused, and grabbed Pyreon.

"Pyreon, we have to help Atom. Hurry!"

"Azion, you're hurt! There's no way you can use me in your condition!"

"That doesn't matter now. Atom needs us, and we will help him!" His hands began to glow, and a small platform rose up beneath Pyreon. "Go!" The platform moved towards Atom quickly. "We're useless right now. He has a chance." Atom broke from the stalemate again, and swung quickly at the Negative Shifter. The attack was parried, and the Negative Shifter again had the upper hand.

"You will never win! Yield!" The Negative Shifter began slicing at Atom quickly, landing several cuts. Pyreon approached Atom.

"Atom!" He yelled. "Throw me in!" Atom blocked another attack with his shield, and grabbed Pyreon.

"I hope you're right about this. I've never used you before, Pyreon."

"Trust me, you need me!"

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Said Atom, before he was kicked away by the Negative Shifter. Pyreon was dropped.

"Face it! You've lost! The Destruction has won!" Pyreon fell near the Negative Shifter.

"Bakugan, Stand." Replied Atom. Pyreon glowed, and rose quickly. He punched the Negative Shifter, forcing him back.

"You think you're that strong, huh?" Asked Pyreon. "Then prove it! If you're that strong, then taking me out shouldn't be a problem!"

"I see that your conviction is strong." Said the Negative Shifter. "So be it! Magantron!"

"Gladly!" Magantron loomed above all three, still gaining power. "I've already beaten you today. What more do you hope to accomplish?"

"Azion was new to the ability we gained from you guys destroying the Bakugan Reality and Leonidas! But with Atom, who's well versed with the ability, I know we can win!" Atom blew another shrill note that sounded much better. "Atom, use it! The ability you had with Leo!"

"What?" Asked Atom. "But you're not"

"Just use it!"

"Okay." Said Atom. He focused, and his Attribute Wheel flared to life. Pyreon began to glow. "Attributic"

"Split!" Finished Pyreon. He split into his six different Attribute forms. Atom's sword glowed brightly, and changed to reflect all six Attributes as well.

"No way." Said Atom. In front of him were six Pyreons, each a different Attribute.

"See? What'd I tell you?" Asked Pyreon. Atom smiled.

"Now we can do some serious damage!" He said. "And I know exactly what to do."

"Too late!" Said Magantron. He swung wildly at the six Pyreons, who all scattered to avoid being hit.

"Pyrus! Haos! Go after the Negative Shifter! Keep him of of me!"

"You got it!" Said Pyreon.

"Agreed." Said Haos Pyreon. The two went off.

"The rest of you, focus on Magantron!" Atom's Energy Twist Triangle lit up. "Energy Twist! Light!" All six Pyreons glowed, and gained their white armor. Each had different accents to show which Attribute they were.

"We're on it!" Said Darkus Pyreon. Azion and Rika watched.

"I knew they could do it." Said Azion. "Now I just have to hope we can last long enough to be saved. Atom blew another note, and it seemed even better than the last.

"I think I'm getting the hang of playing an Ocarina!" He said. "Get ready guys! Keep them off of me!" The Negative Shifter kept weaving between Pyreon and Haos Pyreon, causing their attacks to hit each other.

"Hurry up!" Said Pyreon. The other four weren't having much luck either. Magantron just kept swinging his mace at them, preventing them from getting close. Atom brought the Ocarina up to his mouth again, and began to blow. Three descending notes, followed by three more. The song seemed dreary and dark. A few more notes were blown, and Azion and Rika began to glow.

"What the?" Asked Magantron. "No!" Atom stopped blowing, and smiled.

"Perfect." He said. "Just as powerful as I thought!"

"Atom, what did you do?" Asked Azion. He and Rika stopped glowing, completely healed.

"I told you Legend of Zelda was awesome!" Replied Atom.

"Has he really gotten that strong since the Destruction sent him away?" Wondered the Negative Shifter. "I have to warn him." The Negative Shifter vanished into the darkness.

"Where'd he go?" Asked Pyreon.

"Does it matter?" Asked Haos Pyreon. "Come on, we need to help the others!" Haos Pyreon flew towards the other four, followed by Pyreon.

"Back to six on one?" Asked Magantron. "Wrong!" A large shield formed around everybody, except Pyreon and Haos Pyreon. "I'm cutting you off! No more mercy on you!" Magantron's dark gem began to glow a dark, purple color. "This is the end of you!" The gem lit up brighter. "This attack is absolute! Nothing can stop it!" Atom took a deep breath, and focused. He began to play the Ocarina again, and all the different musics ever played by it flowed into him. He played two high notes, followed by two low notes, and teo medium notes. It began to repeat, getting fast and faster on each repetition. "This ends now!" Magantron fired as the music took effect on Atom. He focused on the beam, and to him it was travelling slower than a snail. Faster than anybody else could see, he turned around and scooped up Azion and Rika, then jumped them out of the way. To everyone else, he had accomplished that in less than a second. Magantron's eyes widened.

"How did you move that fast?!" He demanded. Atom said something incomprehensible because of its speed. He tried again, slowing it down.

"IusedaLegendofZeldasongcalledSongofDoubleTime!" He said, nearly too fast to understand. Atom played another song in what seemed like a second, and slowed down. "And now I've used the one called Song of Reverse Time. I guess they speed me up and slow me down respectively." Atom drew his blade, still split into six. "Now, where were we?" He dashed towards Magantron's shield, and stabbed it. The Master Sword poked through, and the shield began to crack. The Master Sword glowed brightly, and the barrier shattered. Magantron's eyes couldn't be any wider. "Surprised? Don't be. The Master Sword can cut through any barrier created through evil. And that includes chaotic origins!" Azion held up his Digivice, his confidence returned. He looked at Rika.

"Ready to get back into it?" He asked.

"You know it!" She got back up, and the two held up their Digivices. Azion's fusion Loader glowed first.

"Dragonomon! Renamon! Time to join the fight!" He called. The two glowed, and their lights combined. When it faded, Mystic Dragonomon was back.

"You will not join in this fight!" Said Magantron. He swung his mace at the three of them, and all three dodged away. Azion and Rika held up their Digivices again, and Magantron swung his mace in again. The six Pyreons intercepted it, stopping it. Then Pyreon went to the chain holding it.

"Fire Welder!" He called. His wrists generated flaming blades, and he sliced at the chain. They melted right through, severing Magantron's weapon.

 _Dual Biomerge Activated._ Stated a robotic voice. Azion, Rika and Mystic Dragonomon all glowed, and combined into Draconic Sakuyamon once again. The top of their staff glowed, showing the Energy Twist Triangle.

"Afraid you're losing, Magantron?" Asked Azion.

"Guess what!" Said Rika.

"You are!" Finished Dragonomon and Renamon. They took aim, and fired another beam at Magantron, who blocked it with his hand. He turned to his right to see all six Pyreons firing their attack on him as well. He raised his other hand to block it.

"Where are they getting this might from?" Wondered Magantron. "It's impossible! Nobody can defeat the powers of darkness that fuel me! They will fall!" Internally, Magantron's body began to work overtime to increase his power as far as possible. He tensed up as the four Forbidden Cards within him fed him unimaginable levels of power. This in turn caused more chaos to form inside his body in an endless loop, adding further to his power. His hands began to glow, and the two attacks began to be pushed back. Two beams of dark energy erupted out of his hands, heading straight towards the Pyreons and Draconic Sakuyamon. They all dodged, but barely. Magantron then strained, and his beams grew larger. All seven beings were struck, sending them sprawling. "Enough!" Bellowed Magantron. "I've had it with all of you!" His body surged in size again, obviously straining. "All of you are drawing power from a source that doesn't exist, and are managing to beat me with that imaginary power! That ends now!" The purple aura around him swelled bigger, signifying his growing power. "If I must obliterate this section of the Destruction's domain, then so be! None of you are escaping alive from here!" Energy began to coagulate in front of Magantron, and began to compress very tightly. Soon, energy began to try and escape from the chaos and darkness in front of him, but he still compressed it down further. His body began to tremble holding that power in such a small area, and from his own overloading power. "This is the end!" The energy Magantron was charging up continued to compress down, and soon erupted. The energy was still contained by Magantron, who continued to force it down tighter, smaller, denser. "You want to be the strongest? Fine! Die to the power you've been attempting to defeat!" Magantron focused the energy in front of him, and it rocketed out at everybody who was facing him. All eleven beings could only watch as the beam drew closer. Atom gritted his teeth, and focused.

"We will never yield!" He declared. He put the Ocarina to his mouth again and blew six, shrill notes. Three descending, then three ascending, the last one two steps above the one before. The beam struck them, and the notes echoed back. A bubble seemed to form around everybody but Magantron that expanded against the beam of energy.

"What?" Asked Magantron. "NO!" Atom replayed the six notes he had, and the bubble expanded to Magantron. "More power! More! I will annihilate all of you!" His beam grew larger, but didn't budge the bubble. Three more notes were played by Atom, and were mimicked by the echo at the same time. The bubble encompassed Magantron, and purged all of the chaos from everywhere around him. His attack dispersed into darkness, and the chaos energy that had been building within him began to vaporize, diminishing his power. "No! No! I was so close! You cannot win!" Magantron focused on drawing in more chaos energy to build his power back up, but there was none around him to draw from. He began returning to his normal size as the chaos energy within him continued to bleed out. "Enough!" Magantron charged up one more attack, putting everything he had left into it. A massive orb of darkness appeared around him, rapidly expanding. "Victory or Death!" He yelled. The darkness consumed the bubble that Atom had created, forcing it back. "You will never win!"

"Yes, we will!" Yelled Azion. Draconic Sakuyamon fired a beam at the bubble of darkness.

"We fight for what's right! You fight for your own gain!" Yelled Pyreon. He and his five clones fired at the bubble as well, hitting six different spots.

"Magantron, it is you who will not win!" Yelled Atom. He played six more notes, high low, high low medium high. Music played around him, and focused on the seven beams of light hitting Magantron's attack. A large circle generated around it, then surrounded it. "I have called upon the powers of old in a new way! The Prelude of Light will shine our way through!" The bubble began to contract, and it moved away from Magantron. He was returned to his normal size, and could only watch as the last of his unnatural power floated away from him, continuing to compress. It vanished from sight, and a small flash signalled its demise. Magantron focused on Atom.

"You!" He yelled. "You shouldn't be capable of that! It's impossible!"

"Never tell a Shifter the odds." Said Atom. He looked at Draconic Sakuyamon, who nodded.

"For they will always beat them!" Finished Azion. Atom put the Ocarina in his pocket, and drew his blade, Draconic Sakuyamon readied their staff and the Pyreons prepared to fire. They all surrounded Magantron from all angles. He looked at all of them.

"This isn't over!" He declared. Darkness surrounded him, and he vanished. Atom sheathed his sword at the same time Draconic Sakuyamon and Pyreon deactivated their transformations. Then, Atom promptly almost collapsed. Azion went over to him to help him up.

"Easy bud." He said. Atom looked at him.

"I didn't want to say it in front of him, but those songs drained me. If he had managed one more comeback, I don't think I could've helped." He took a few deep breaths. "Are you okay?" Azion smiled.

"Please, he couldn't hurt me even if he tried!" Atom smiled back.

"Same annoying brat I always knew. It's good to be back." Azion got Atom back up to his feet, and Rika came over.

"Okay, spill." She said. "What happened to you after the Destruction sent you away? Nobody gains power like that from nowhere."

"Well, I want to know what happened with you guys too." Said Atom. "Think we can come to an agreement on how we share our info? I've got no clue as to what's going on out here."

"It's bad." Said Azion. "The Destruction has left me unable to access my most powerful Digivice. I can only assume he destroyed that Reality. And the others" Azion gasped. "We need to help the others! We were wrong, they weren't going after the weakest Digimon Reality we had left! They were going for the one we left completely unprotected!" Atom shook his head to clear it, and focused. He felt like he had enough strength to do one more thing.

"Azion, I need you to trust me." He said. He focused on all of their friends, trying to find them. Azion only watched as Atom's hand began to glow, and green energy began to generate in front of them. "Come on, come on!" A Realital Gate burst to life in front of them, and Atom slumped forward.

"What the?" Asked Azion. "What the heck did you just"

"Later." Said Atom. "I don't have the strength to hold it open for long. We need to move!" Atom attempted to move towards the gate, but was barely able to raise his hand.

"You heard him." Said Pyreon as he reverted to ball form. "Let's get moving!" He landed on Azion's shoulder.

"Ready Renamon?" Asked Rika.

"Always."

"Dragonomon?"

"Let's head out!" Azion made sure he had a good grip on Atom, and headed into the Realital Gate, followed by Rika, Renamon and Dragonomon.

* * *

 _Well, our team is reunited. We're back up to full power with our Omega Shifters. But, I fear it may not be enough. We need training, and with the limited time we have it'll be difficult. And with The Destruction knowing that Atom and Cassie are back, he'll be doing everything in his power to destroy the remaining Realities as quickly as possible. We have to succeed, or we'll lose another portion of our strength._


End file.
